Faced with an annual transportation funding shortage of $5 million and growing, the Washington County Board of Commissioners is now the third county in the metro area to authorize a wheelage tax. Under the tax, $5 will be added to the vehicle registration fee drivers pay in 2007 to receive license plate tabs. The revenue from this user fee is expected to be about $900,000. That funding will go toward county highway preservation projects, expansion projects and transit improvements. These projects will be clearly identified for residents to see the benefits of this revenue. Only the seven counties of the metro area are eligible to consider a wheelage tax. Anoka and Dakota counties have already authorized the tax and Scott County is currently considering the tax. In authorizing the tax, county commissioners noted that $900,000 is not adequate to meet all the countyís transportation needs but it is a step in the right direction.

Top of Page

Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605