Local option fee being considered

A growing population, rising material prices and declining federal grants and gas tax funding have combined to place Kootenai County highway districts and towns on a dead end road when it comes to keeping up with road repairs and transportation needs.

Now local transportation officials are scrambling to secure a new funding source for construction and maintenance projects, and are pushing for a $24 local option vehicle registration fee.

The fee would generate more than $3 million each year for transportation projects, but supporters are facing challenges getting it onto the November general election ballot.

“We’re behind right now as far as trying to keep up with the growth that’s occurred. We’re struggling to keep up with construction, maintenance and preservation,” said Joe Wuest, Lakes Highway District road supervisor.

Local option registration fee proceeds would be money that would stay in Kootenai County, divided among jurisdictions on the basis of population and road miles. A portion would be set aside for projects of regional significance.

The $24 fee would be added to the state’s existing registration fee, which ranges from $32 to $56, depending on the age of the vehicle. It would have a 20-year sunset clause.

There are two ways to get the issue on a general election ballot. The Kootenai County Board of Commissioners could vote to put it on the ballot or all four Kootenai County highway districts and all local cities can pass resolutions seeking to place the issue before voters.

The problem for supporters of the local option fee is that Kootenai County commissioners have indicated they won’t do it and at least one jurisdiction – Harrison – has declined to pass a resolution seeking a vote on the fee.

Harrison Mayor Jo Prophet said she and other local elected officials fear the new fee would overburden citizens, especially if the state decides to increase registration fees.

Kootenai County commissioners haven’t come out against the local registration fee, said Lynn Humphreys, Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization chairman. Instead, Humphreys said the issue seems to be a fear that adding another local taxing issue on the general election ballot will decrease chances of voters passing a sales tax increase to expand the Kootenai County Jail.

Commissioners announced last week that the jail expansion and a new sheriff’s administration complex might cost as much as $147 million.

Voters turned down a $50 million jail expansion project just three years ago. This is the county commissioners’ last chance to get a local sales tax increase to pay for the jail project passed since state law set an expiration date for the option of 2009.

Humphreys said he doesn’t believe having both issues on the same ballot will hurt their chances.

“All it is is giving the people a choice of whether they want to participate or not in repairing our roads,” he said of the local option registration fee.

If the local option fee doesn’t make the November ballot, it won’t get another chance until 2010, since it can only go on a general election ballot, so there is hope that Harrison will reconsider its decision, said Glenn Miles, Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization executive director.

Miles said there are no other local funding options available to municipalities other than their general funds, and money raised from the fee could be used to leverage federal and state grants, bringing more money to Kootenai County.

Harrison would probably get about $10,000 each year from the fee if it passed a public vote. Other cities stand to gain much more. Based on the formula derived from population and road miles, Coeur d’Alene would likely raise about $550,000, Post Falls about $330,000 and Hayden $170,000.

Lakes Highway District could anticipate $430,000, with Post Falls and Eastside Highway Districts getting about $300,000 and Worley Highway District close to $225,000.

Eastside Highway District Road Supervisor John Pankratz said he is hopeful that Harrison or the Kootenai County commissioners will reconsider their decisions.

“It’s just a resolution to put it forward to the voters and have the voters decide,” Pankratz said.