The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

March 13, 2011

Legislators hike motor vehicle fees to help highway account

By Mannix Porterfield Register-Herald Reporter

CHARLESTON — Driving a motor vehicle in West Virginia is going to become a little more costly.

Lawmakers came to terms Saturday on legislation hiking fees charged by the Division of Motor Vehicles to raise some $40 million for the state’s struggling highway account.

Under the plan, registering a vehicle, regardless of weight, climbs to $45.

Originally, the Senate wanted a $38.50 charge for vehicles weighing up to 4,000 pounds, and $58.50 for those with a maximum weight of 8,000 pounds.

Duplicate decals and plates will go from $5 to $15.

Getting a duplicate license is to rise from $5 to $15, a title document jumps from $10 to $21, and a transfer increases from $5 to $6.

Lien recording and driving record fees are boosted from $5 to $13 and $10, respectively, and a vehicle record fee would jump from $1 to $7.

In the 26-7 Senate tally, opposition votes came from Sens. Donna Boley, R-Pleasants, David Nohe, R-Wood, Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, Walt Helmick, D-Pocahontas, Karen Facemyer, R-Jackson, David Sypolt, R-Preston, and Clark Barnes, R-Randolph.

Afterward, Chafin was irate over the increased fees, saying they are just another word for taxes and that the Legislature always imposes them on the backs of the working poor.

“We’re going to make it so high that it’s going to be hard to transfer titles, relicense your cars,” Chafin said. “These are things that poor people pay every day.”

A minor amendment attached by Sen. Robert Beach, D-Monongalia, obligates the fee structure to conform with interstate commerce laws.

Chafin said the Legislature could lasso the needed money from other sources, such as the unclaimed property fund.

“But any time they want to get money for the roads, they put it on the backs of poor, working people,” the former majority leader said.

Chafin called for financing highways by some other means and “spending our money more prudently.”

“I’m against these fee increases,” he said. “They’re directly coming out of the people’s pockets. It’s another tax, and a heavy tax and one that you really notice when you try to license your car.”

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com

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