MOUNT VERNON — On Thursday, the Knox County commissioners granted County Engineer Cameron Keaton’s request for a $5 increase in vehicle registration fees. Before approving it, the commissioners asked Keaton what his plan was if they did not support his request.
“Keep doing business the way we are doing business,” he responded.
That business as usual includes limiting the number and scope of projects, closing bridges, and not having money for a local match for grants. It does not include a road and bridge levy as an alternate source of funding.
“A road and bridge levy is enticing, but the whole system is broken,” said Keaton. “I don’t like to put more of a burden on the citizens. I’m a resident, too, and everybody’s budget is tight.
“Especially in light of what the county has done, what the city’s done, and other levies,” he added, referring to the recent increase in county sales tax, Mount Vernon’s EMS/fire levy, and county department levies renewed or replaced. “I don’t think $5 will strap anybody. I have hopes that in the next two or three years something will happen at the state level.
“To go after a $3 million or $5 million levy, we are putting the whole burden on the residents of Knox County, and that’s not right.”
Keaton said the $5 permissive tax benefits large counties such as Hamilton and Franklin, both of which will receive around $5 million from enacting the tax. For Knox County, the $5 increase will generate around $300,000, a small portion of Keaton’s budget.
“The thing that will benefit small counties is the gas tax,” he said. Gas tax revenue makes up half of Keaton’s budget.
“I’d rather not have to strap the entire burden on Knox County residents if we don’t have to,” said Keaton. “The hope is since small counties backed the big counties on the permissive tax, the big counties will band with the small counties on changes in the gas tax.”
“We agree with you that it should be taken up with the state and federal government,” Commissioner Teresa Bemiller told Keaton. “We might sound like a broken record, but it’s the situation we’re in.”
“Our concern is that since the legislature passed this last year, in my opinion, it’s another passing the buck to county commissioners in making them make the decision,” said Commissioner Thom Collier. “They could easily have made the authority in Columbus, but they passed it to county commissioners. Worse than that, they gave no mechanism for this to be voted on by the voters. That puts commissioners in a tough spot. Our only other option, like yours, is to go to the voters and say how about a road and bridge levy.”
“I think people would prefer this to an increase in property taxes,” said Bemiller.
“From our perspective, this is not an ideal situation in any form, and it’s not a cure-all,” said Collier, noting that with the increase in asphalt prices just since spring, asphalt costs could potentially absorb all of the additional $300,000 the tax is expected to generate.
“As county engineer, I think I owe it to the residents to give them the best possible roads and bridges, and right now, this is the only vehicle I have to do that,” said Keaton.
“I’m not crazy about it either,” said Commissioner Roger Reed of the $5 increase. “As commissioners, we are asking the people to pay an extra $10 to $20 every year.
“This has not been easy. A lot of people think we just go through the motions with public hearings. We have to pay it, too. I’m trying to look at the big picture and look at what’s best for the county,” he said, adding that he would rather pay the extra $5 compared to the cost of vehicle damage due to potholes.
Noting the lack of attendance at public hearings, Reed said most of the comments he and the other commissioners received regarding the increase were positive.
