West Chester Township trustees approve $5 vehicle-license fee to bolster road maintenance

Trustees of West Chester Township on Jan. 28 approved Resolution 01-2025 to add a $5 motor vehicle license fee under Ohio Revised Code §4501.181, a move township staff said will generate roughly $569,000 a year for road repair, maintenance and construction.

Township staff presented the proposal during two statutorily required public hearings and said a third-party pavement condition study showed accelerating deterioration of the township’s road network and a 2025 paving budget increase that created a roughly $1 million funding gap. Lisa (staff member) told trustees the fee is a consistent local revenue source that avoids additional property-tax pressure.

The board recessed the regular meeting to hold the required public hearing and then returned to vote on the resolution. The motion to adopt Resolution 01-2025 passed on roll call with Trustee Becker, Trustee Wong and Trustee Welch all voting yes.

Township staff said the additional $5 would bring the township’s vehicle-license fee to $10 and would cover routine maintenance such as crack sealing, chip seal and pothole repair; staff cautioned it likely covers only about half of the identified need and that the board will need to consider other funding options for future budgets. The staff presentation included a map of pavement-condition ratings and photos of roads categorized as “fair” and “poor.”

The trustees followed the advertised public-hearing process required by state statute and reported no members of the public spoke during the hearing. With the vote the township will implement the fee under the authority cited in the resolution.

What’s next: Staff said the fee revenue will be applied to the 2025 roads program and that the board will continue to review longer-term funding options for the road program in future budget cycles.