Tuesday, the BOCS voted to do away with the county decal in a 7-1 vote. The dissenting vote belonged to Supervisor Marty Nohe. Before everyone starts clapping, residents will still have to pay the fee, they just won’t be putting the county emblem on the car signifying that they have paid the $24 fee.
From the News and Messenger Manassas:
Supervisor Martin Nohe, R-Coles, was the lone naysayer. He wasn’t satisfied finance officials had presented a workable plan to combat the dilemma now facing the landfill, which uses the decals as a wave-through acceptance of county residency to those trying to dump trash. Concerns are that traffic will back up as landfill visitors will now have to show drivers’ licenses to prove in-county residency — or even worse could occur, if landfill workers bypass these checks.
“If we eliminate the decal, we open the door to out-of-county landfill users,” said Joan Moon, with the Landfill Citizens Oversight Committee, during the public hearing on the issue.
Eliminating the decal saves the county $135,300 per year in production and mail costs, according to documents to the board. But that’s not the same as what the county collects from the motor vehicle tax, which contributes millions of dollars to the general fund, Supervisor Frank Principi, D-Woodbridge, clarified.
Had the supervisors not voted to discontinue the decal, they would have had to amend the fiscal 2010 budget. The budget approved April 28 did not include funding for the decals.
Most of the concern seems to be about the landfill: the dreaded landfill poacher. How will we ensure than only legal residents use the landfill? Perhaps a drivers’ license might just do the trick. Some folks have old decals on their windshield because they don’t come off without sandbasting.
Back in the old days, the county sticker used to be an indicator of who had paid their personal property tax. You didn’t pay your taxes, you didn’t get a county sticker. It was all pretty cut and dry. What about those who try to save a buck and avoid county taxes?
How will local police know who has and has not paid their county fee? I can remember getting pinched a few times for not having that sticker. Will police computer lines tie in to who has been naughty and who has been nice? How about running a line from our license plate to who has paid the sticker and who hasn’t? Will that be done?
How many people will not purchase a ticket and hope they just don’t get caught. I honestly don’t think the county should be relying on the honor system on this one.
