Bartholomew officials opposed to state wheel tax mandate proposal

Bartholomew County officials are standing against a statehouse proposal that would push counties to enact a new tax on vehicle registrations in order to receive some grant funds.

At their meeting this week, commissioners approved committing $1.5 million to serve as a match for the state Community Crossing grants applications. But they also said that this could be the last year for the county to receive the funds.

That’s because of a proposal in the Indiana House which would require counties to enact a wheel tax to be eligible for the grant funds. The grant money is used for road improvement projects in communities.

Commissioner Tony London said that the Community Crossings money already comes from gas taxes and is essentially the county applying to get back a share of those revenues and requires a matching grant. The grants are available for up to $1.5 million, which gives the county the ability to spend $3 million on roads. London said Bartholomew is one of about a third of the state’s counties yet to enact a wheel tax.

Commissioners President Carl Lienhoop said that Bartholomew is able to pay those matching funds without needing to raise a wheel tax. But he said that some smaller, more rural counties struggle to raise those matching funds, even though they only must raise a lower percentage than larger counties.

Commissioners said that they are committed to not raising taxes unnecessarily and said that the Bartholomew County Council also opposes the idea of raising a wheel tax.