The Plymouth Common Council will be sending a letter of support to Marshall County.
Due to anticipated cuts at the state level, Marshall County has been exploring options to continue funding road maintenance and repairs. Among the options being considered are a Local Option Highway User Income Tax and a Wheel Tax.
During last night’s meeting, Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter urged the Common Council to agree to send the letter of support for a variation of the Wheel Tax. He says the Plymouth Street Department may stand to benefit.
“This is not something that the council has to vote on,” says Senter. “There are some other taxes where every city and town has to vote on it, but this is not one of them.”
Applying a wheel tax to local motorists was explored during a joint session of the Marshall County Council and the Marshall County Commissioners, last week.
Should a Wheel Tax be applied at the county level, it would likely be paid by residents during license plate renewal. Any revenue generated would be exclusively used for road repairs. Current estimates put the tax at a total cost between $25 and $40.
Member Mike Delp says the way he understands it, the county gets a portion, and the towns of Marshall County would receive another portion.
“The county is hurting, you know, they just are,” says Delp. “The legislators, it looks like, aren’t going to kick them any more money. They’re almost forcing them, they are forcing them to do this.”
Whether the full amount of revenue generated would be kept locally remained uncertain for the Plymouth Common Council. Marshall County has not taken a vote on the measure.
The Plymouth Common Council agreed to send a letter of support, unanimously.
