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Ellis County raises motor-vehicle transaction fee to $10 for 2027–2029
Summary
The Ellis County Commission adopted Resolution R-2026-13 to increase the motor vehicle transaction fee from $5 to $10 effective Jan. 1, 2027 through Dec. 31, 2029, a temporary measure Treasurer Vern Ruder said will help reduce reliance on property tax support for motor vehicle operations.
The Board of Ellis County Commissioners voted unanimously July 7 to adopt Resolution R-2026-13, raising the county motor vehicle transaction fee from $5 to $10 effective Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2029.
Treasurer Vern Ruder told commissioners the change is enabled by Senate Bill 325 and is intended to reduce the department’s dependence on property tax dollars. "With the approval of Senate Bill 325, we now have an opportunity to address long-term funding challenges for county motor vehicle operations," Ruder said, noting that roughly 70 percent of treasury duties involve motor vehicle work and that about $600,000 of his budget is related to these services. The fee will apply to registration renewals, online renewals and title processing.
Commissioners discussed the temporary nature of the fee and how the county will demonstrate to the state that the additional revenue supports motor vehicle staffing. The resolution was adopted by a voice vote of three to zero. The written resolution specifying the effective dates and the $10 fee was entered into the record and signed by the chair and commissioners.
