City Council is considering eliminating the property tax window stickers that we all have on our windshields, John Yellig writes in the Progress. Cities across the state are following the lead of Virginia Beach, who ditched the stickers to let the DMV enforce payment at the time of vehicle registration. The city stands to save $42k/year by making the switch, plus untold staff hours that go into dealing with the damnedable little things. A vote will come at Council’s next meeting, in two weeks.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
-
Archive for Sideblog »
It’s already being done in Virginia Beach and proposed in Norfolk.
Well it’s about damn time. I’ve had about enough of all the flowers & the frou-frou. Those things are a pain to get off, too.
If Charlottesville gets rid of the stickers, that’ll put lots of pressure on Albemarle to follow suit. Otherwise, they’ll go nuts trying to decide what vehicles to ticket, not knowing whether owners live in Cville and don’t need stickers or live in Albemarle and are just avoiding paying for them.
I think it’s a good idea overall to let the DMV collect the property tax on vehicles. In California the property tax on Auto’s are folded into the registration fees, and paid when you renew. Since it’s a tax that ultimately ends up at the state level (at least in California it was), it only makes sense to eliminate some of the bureaucracy, and let the state collect the taxes directly.
It would’ve been easier if the State of Virginia had taken the initiative to do this statewide, as opposed to having the localities decide piecemeal whether or not they would take on the responsibility. But then again this is the government we’re talking about… so in that respect I’m not really surprised.
The state of Virginia has taken the initiative on this issue. Former governor Jim Gilmer was elected on a pledge to eliminate the car tax state-wide. If there’s no tax, there’s no need for a decal to show you paid the car tax. The decal enforcement process has always been the main complaint. Currently, the state pays about 70% of your car tax. So the state will collect the other 30% for the locality. Now what’s to keep the city/county from requiring a decal just so they can keep us more safe and quickly identify local cars?
“Charlottesville tickets Va. Beach cars: A hundred reasons to do nothing” Sep 8 2004:
http://cvilleindymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=820