Evansville council adopts wheel tax after trimming proposed rates

The Evansville Common Council adopted an amended ordinance imposing a municipal wheel tax and a motor vehicle license excise surtax on Aug. 25, voting 8–1 to approve the measure after an amendment that lowered the proposed rates.

City officials and outside advisers told council the tax is aimed at filling an expected roads funding gap tied to state changes in grant programs. Robert Country of the Controller's Office said recent state law changes and reductions to the Community Crossings matching program will reduce Evansville's share of that grant money and that the wheel tax revenue "can only be used on the roads." The council passed the ordinance after amending the proposed rates downward by $5.

City engineer Mike Levitsky gave the council a local cost picture: "It costs about $300,000 to pave 1 mile of road in this city," he said, and estimated the city needs roughly $3.6 million a year to maintain collectors and arterials on a 20–25 year cycle, with…