The Marshall County Commissioners have taken another step toward the establishment of a buggy ordinance.
Amish populations often use local roadways, but establishing a fee to pay for repairs incurred by their use of Marshall County’s roads was found to be in use in neighboring counties.
Commissioner Deb Griewank says neighboring counties had a range of options Marshall County could use.
“We decided to only charge one fee for buggies; and buggies meaning: the horse vehicles – which are their carriages, their wagons, that are towed directly behind the horses,” says Griewank. “Other counties have fees for even the trailers that are even attached to those buggies, but we opted not to.”
A fee of $53 has been written into the ordinance in its current form. The idea was first brought forward a couple of months ago.
Due to the small radius Amish populations can travel, using a local bank in the eastern portion of Marshall County was considered a good way to bring the service to the group.
Apart from providing them with access to purchase any buggy permit under the ordinance, Marshall County also discussed possible difficulties communicating the change to Amish populations residing in the county.
Highway Department Administrator Laurie Baker says the only difference is that average residents are paying, and the Amish are not.
“They aren’t assessed on their buggies because it’s a personal transportation vehicle,” says Baker. “It kind of takes the place of what we who drive cars pay as MVH.”
Commissioner Kurt Garner expressed concerns about implementing the fees without first having a comprehensive road plan in place.
That plan is nearing the point of consideration by the Commissioners, likely in the next few months. The group approved the ordinance on second reading, Monday morning.
