From Deseret News archives:
Davis may raise car fees for road fund
The money would be used to purchase land for future roads in the county. The Utah Legislature enacted a law in 2005 that allows counties to implement up to a $10 fee for vehicle registrations to generate revenue for preserving road corridors.
"When you look at it, this was custom-made for counties like Davis County and Weber County," said State Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse.
About 50 cents from every dollar of the state's gasoline tax leaves Davis and Weber counties for other parts of the state, he said.
Registration fees for corridor preservation stay in the county that collects them, Killpack said. So far, Utah, Wasatch, Summit and Salt Lake counties have established the fee.
In 2006, when the law allowing the registration fee went into effect, $10 million in matching funds was available to counties that enacted the ordinance.
Davis County commissioners nixed the fee in 2006, despite support from 10 of the county's 15 city councils. Commissioners said they required unanimous support from all 15 cities.
But two commissioners who are new to the commission this year — Bret Millburn and Louenda Downs — had said during their campaigns that they thought the previous commission missed an opportunity to save money and missed out on the matching funds.
This year, the Legislature set aside $30 million in matching funds for corridor preservation for state roads, Killpack said.
If enacted today, the Davis County ordinance implementing the fee would bring in about $2 million a year starting July 1, plus $2 million in matching funds.
Extending Legacy Parkway along the rapidly growing west side of Davis County would cost about $100 million just to buy the land, said Wilf Sommerkorn, Davis County's director of community and economic development. Corridor preservation for other county road projects would cost about $300 million in today's dollars.
But those costs will only become more expensive over time. As more homes are built, the value of land rises, and it becomes more costly to purchase when needs for road projects arise, Millburn said.
During a Davis County Council of Governments meeting in January, mayors from most Davis cities threw their support behind the fee increase. Only North Salt Lake Mayor Shanna Shaefermeyer and Clinton Mayor Mitch Adams disagreed.
"We've had encouragement from the Council of Governments and the Davis Chamber of Commerce," Millburn said. "Both have sent letters asking us to seriously consider that matter."
"What haunts me," Downs said during the January meeting, "is what if we don't do this project?"
If commissioners enact the ordinance today, it would be the first fee increase enacted by the new commissioners. But Millburn said the fee would go toward a good cause.
"People don't like to be taxed and fee'd," he said. "When there's a specific need identified, it makes it a little bit more palatable."
E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com
