Travda County Commission opens debate on proposed wheel tax; staff to refine draft for January

County counsel recommended the Travda County Commission place a draft wheel-tax ordinance on the January agenda and asked commissioners for direction on draft language, including whether the tax should include a sunset provision.

The proposal, presented by county counsel (Mr. Beller), would require three readings at regular meetings and — if enacted by ordinance — a supermajority vote of the commission. "This does require 3 readings at regular meetings, and it has to be by super majority, 14," Beller told the body, noting procedural constraints and the need for additional legal review.

Why it matters: commissioners and staff said the tax would provide recurring local revenue to support county projects such as jail or school funding and to reduce debt, but they differed on durability. Commissioner Judy Kerr asked whether the tax should be set to expire (a sunset) or run indefinitely. Kerr said the previous wheel tax had a sunset and that the county went three years without the levy, forfeiting revenue that could have been saved.

Tax assessor Mr. Potts provided data intended to clarify how many county residents would pay: "Right now, in Travda County, we have a total of 5,500 parcels," Potts said. He reported that roughly 4,028 of those are individually owned parcels and that the county population is about 10,100; based on those figures he estimated "about 41%" of residents own property and would therefore bear most of the property-tax burden under a wheel tax. Potts cautioned that figures exclude the county prison population and noted the county is experiencing steady parcel growth.

Commissioner Chris Gregory and others raised the prospect that the measure would likely end up on a referendum whether the commission adopted it by ordinance or not, and argued a sunset clause would increase the proposal’s political viability. Questions also focused on administrative readiness: county staff must confirm collection mechanisms and local deadlines, and the county clerk indicated a 90-day window would be required for collection preparation if the tax were to be passed.

Bubba Gregory asked about timeline if the commission approved a wheel tax in January. Counsel said effective dates can be set in the ordinance and gave a potential example of making it effective on July 1, 2026, while the clerk said at least 90 days would be necessary to have collection procedures in place.

No formal motion or vote was taken. Counsel said he would continue to refine the draft, work with relevant staff (including CTAS or MTAS if needed), and bring a revised proposal back for discussion in January. The commission agreed to further study and possible work sessions to solicit public input before any final vote or referendum placement.