Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Bedford County eyes solid-waste stickers
Officials want some way to ensure only county residents are using the solid-waste drop-off centers.
BEDFORD — Bedford County residents may give up one vehicle decal only to gain another.
The county’s board of supervisors decided Monday evening to schedule a public hearing for next month to consider eliminating the motor vehicle license fee and its associated decal, but the board also concurred that some type of decal is needed to ensure that only county residents use its solid-waste drop-off centers.
“There is no point in doing away with one decal to get another one,” said Montvale District Supervisor Annie Pollard, who suggested eliminating the county sticker during the board’s budget work sessions held earlier this year.
But some board members are concerned that without a decal, non-county residents will illegally dump waste at the centers, especially in areas such as Forest and Stewartsville that border neighboring localities.
Pollard said about $60,000 a year could be saved by getting rid of the decal and related mailing expenses. Although the exact cost of a solid-waste decal is unknown, County Administrator Kathleen Guzi said significant savings could be realized by eliminating the county sticker and instituting a solid-waste decal in its place.
Costs would be trimmed by sending the solid-waste decals at the same time as the personal property tax bills are mailed. The county stickers had to be mailed after tax payments were received, requiring two mailings.
Another potential way to save would be to issue multiyear solid-waste decals, Guzi said.
Roanoke, Roanoke County and Botetourt County no longer issue decals in conjunction with the personal property tax collected.
“With all the localities around us doing away with the decals, you are going to be faced with that,” Commissioner of the Revenue Faye Eubank told the board.
To prevent losing the revenue generated by the fee, which brings in about $2 million annually, $25 per vehicle would be folded into the personal property tax rate, she said.
Eubank also is proposing a change to the way personal property is assessed. Currently, the rate is based on a percentage of the vehicle’s retail value — $8.50 per $100 assessed based on 20 percent of the retail value. To simplify the assessment method, she would like to move to tax 100 percent of the trade-in value, which would not likely change the amount of taxes paid but would clear up some confusion about the tax rate structure.
“Across the board it should not be an increase,” Eubank said. “I am not saying every individual is going to come out even.”
Bedford city residents already are taxed based on the trade-in value. If the city reverts to town status, Eubank said, the proposal would provide a consistent method of assessment for all county residents.
The county’s board of supervisors decided Monday evening to schedule a public hearing for next month to consider eliminating the motor vehicle license fee and its associated decal, but the board also concurred that some type of decal is needed to ensure that only county residents use its solid-waste drop-off centers.
“There is no point in doing away with one decal to get another one,” said Montvale District Supervisor Annie Pollard, who suggested eliminating the county sticker during the board’s budget work sessions held earlier this year.
But some board members are concerned that without a decal, non-county residents will illegally dump waste at the centers, especially in areas such as Forest and Stewartsville that border neighboring localities.
Pollard said about $60,000 a year could be saved by getting rid of the decal and related mailing expenses. Although the exact cost of a solid-waste decal is unknown, County Administrator Kathleen Guzi said significant savings could be realized by eliminating the county sticker and instituting a solid-waste decal in its place.
Costs would be trimmed by sending the solid-waste decals at the same time as the personal property tax bills are mailed. The county stickers had to be mailed after tax payments were received, requiring two mailings.
Another potential way to save would be to issue multiyear solid-waste decals, Guzi said.
Roanoke, Roanoke County and Botetourt County no longer issue decals in conjunction with the personal property tax collected.
“With all the localities around us doing away with the decals, you are going to be faced with that,” Commissioner of the Revenue Faye Eubank told the board.
To prevent losing the revenue generated by the fee, which brings in about $2 million annually, $25 per vehicle would be folded into the personal property tax rate, she said.
Eubank also is proposing a change to the way personal property is assessed. Currently, the rate is based on a percentage of the vehicle’s retail value — $8.50 per $100 assessed based on 20 percent of the retail value. To simplify the assessment method, she would like to move to tax 100 percent of the trade-in value, which would not likely change the amount of taxes paid but would clear up some confusion about the tax rate structure.
“Across the board it should not be an increase,” Eubank said. “I am not saying every individual is going to come out even.”
Bedford city residents already are taxed based on the trade-in value. If the city reverts to town status, Eubank said, the proposal would provide a consistent method of assessment for all county residents.
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