COLUMBUS, Ind. — Talk of instituting a wheel tax in Bartholomew County has surfaced again, as some local officials say they think state lawmakers want all Indiana counties, including Bartholomew, to enact the tax.
Bartholomew County commissioner Tony London told legislators Monday he was not happy with Senate Bill 207, which passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee this week. If approved, the legislation will reduce a county’s required amount of motor vehicle highway monies that must be spent exclusively for road construction, reconstruction, and preservation by 10%. However, counties will only be given that financial flexibility if they pass a wheel tax.
A wheel tax is an additional tax on motor vehicles in a county, ranging from $20 and up, allowing counties to recoup costs associated with maintaining roads. Bartholomew County does not have the tax, but it has been debated extensively over the years.
For about 15 years, nearly every statehouse proposal that would give counties more financial control with highway distribution funds starts out with a demand the county institute a wheel tax, county highway engineer Danny Hollander said.
“The state lawmakers don’t want to take all the political heat for passing the gas tax,” said Hollander, referring to the 10-cent a gallon tax increase approved in 2017. “They want locals to take some heat, too, and they are just trying to force us into finding other means of revenue.”
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
