A city staff member briefed the committee on Transportation Benefit District (TBD) revenue trends and identified vehicle-weight exclusions that may be reducing potential TBD revenue.
John Snyder said the TBD revenue has been flat despite city growth and that part of the shortfall is likely due to a growing number of heavier passenger vehicles that exceed a 6,000-pound cutoff established when TBDs were adopted. He said roughly 18,000 vehicles registered in the city now exceed that weight threshold and that if those registrations were subject to the vehicle-tab TBD (at $20 per vehicle), the city could collect roughly $360,000 annually as a rough estimate.
The nut graf: staff signaled this as a policy conversation for the council and noted many jurisdictions levy TBD vehicle-tab fees at varying levels (typical local caps discussed were $20–$40, with statutory maximums higher); the underlying point is that heavier passenger vehicles have increased over time and current weight-based exclusions may leave an unintended revenue gap for street repair and TBD programs.
Council members suggested modest fee adjustments or exploring legislative fixes to close the gap; staff said future council discussion could include adjusting the TBD vehicle-tab amount and weighing policy choices.