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Franklin County Legislature calls on state to raise county share of DMV fees
Summary
The Franklin County Legislature unanimously adopted a resolution asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature to increase the county share of DMV revenue from the current 12.7% to a higher percentage, citing increased workload for local DMV offices and calling the status quo a "clear inequity."
The Franklin County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution urging state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to increase the percentage of Department of Motor Vehicles fees retained by counties.
The resolution notes that under current law the Franklin County Clerk remits 87.3% of collected fees to the New York State DMV while counties keep just 12.7%, a share that has not been increased since 1999. It says local DMV offices handle many no-fee transactions and increased responsibilities without a proportional rise in revenue and calls the arrangement a "clear inequity." The resolution further cites State Senate Bill S-4964, sponsored by Sen. Patty Ritchie, as a legislative effort to raise the county share to 25 percent.
Legislator Maroun, who moved the measure, said increasing the county share would not raise costs for residents but would provide "needed revenue to continue to provide necessary local government services," language reflected in the resolution text. Legislator Crossman seconded the motion; the resolution passed on a unanimous voice vote.
The resolution asks the governor and state legislators to ensure any shortfall to the State DMV caused by raising county shares be made whole through the State General Fund and requests copies be sent to the governor, the State DMV executive deputy commissioner and Franklin County's state delegation.
The Legislature did not set a target percentage in the resolution beyond supporting a "substantial increase" and referenced bill S-4964 as an example of prior state-level action. No changes to local fees or immediate budget transfers were authorized by the resolution; it is a formal request directed to state officials.
