Middleton asks county to put vehicle-registration fee on ballot to fund roads

At the June 17 meeting, Public Works Director Jason Van Gilder briefed Middleton council on a county-wide initiative being developed by multiple highway districts that would allow voters to approve a local-option vehicle-registration fee to fund transportation projects.

Van Gilder said the model under discussion would levy an additional fee at vehicle registration — staff referenced a working figure of $20 per year (motorcycles slightly lower in the draft) — with an annual minimum distribution to each city (staff cited a $60,000-per-city minimum in the current draft) and further splits driven by district mileage and municipal population. "We would likely benefit in the range of $100 to $120,000 a year of additional transportation revenue should this be implemented," Van Gilder said.

Council members discussed equity concerns — for example, how rural, agriculture-heavy districts and low-income areas would be affected — the initiative’s proposed 20-year duration as presented, and the mechanics of getting a measure on the ballot (highway-district signoff, county commission placement, or citizen petition). Van Gilder also warned that public advocacy by local governments is constrained by state code once a measure is on the ballot and described the typical informational-only materials that cities can provide.

After discussion, the council moved, seconded and unanimously approved a resolution asking the county commissioners to place a ballot measure permitting a local-option registration fee in Canyon County. The motion directs the mayor to sign the city resolution requesting ballot placement under the draft code reference discussed at the meeting.