In Pennsylvania, it costs $36 to register your car every year. An effort to raise that fee to $41 in Northampton County failed at council’s July 21 meeting.

For the measure to pass, five votes were needed. There were only three. Bob Werner, one of two sponsors for this rate hike, was “all for it.” But he was absent. Mat Benol, who originally called it a “good idea,” changed his mind.

In 2013, the state legislature enacted a massive gas tax, giving the Keystone State the highest gas taxes in the nation, even higher than California and New York. Legislators also authorized counties to impose a $5 “local use fee” on vehicle registrations, so long as the money is used for transportation. So far, 11 counties have enacted this additional tax. Northampton County has rejected an opportunity to be the 12th.

“This is a user fee,” explained council President John Cusick in June, adding roads and bridges have been a core government function since the days of the Roman Empire.

“The question is how to we pay for this need,” he said. “One option is real estate taxes. The other is this user fee.”

According to Cusick, who also sponsored this measure, this would mean $1.4 million in additional revenue for bridge repairs. The money could also be awarded to municipalities that need to make road repairs.

“It’s $5. I support this,” said Ken Kraft. “If you don’t vote for this, you’re voting against the primary reason you got on county council.”

“This is a no-brainer,” he added.

“This is a unique opportunity for us to have a dedicated funding stream,” agreed Peg Ferraro. “To me, it’s good fiscal management.”

She noted bridge repairs are usually funded by bonds that require the county to pay debt service.

“Things have been kicked down the road for the 20-some years I’ve been here,” she added.

“I think this is a tax that we’re voting to increase,” countered Hayden Phillips. “I think we have sufficient money to handle the bridges and the needs of the county.”

Matt Dietz claimed the money raised in a real estate tax hike two years ago is adequate to cover bridge repairs.

Benol, who originally called this a “good idea,” flip flopped. He at first tried to table the increase but was unsuccessful. He now wants to see a plan from public works before voting to increase registration fees.

Glenn Geissinger echoed Benol but opposes imposing a user fee that nets $1.4 million unless council simultaneously reduces real estate taxes in the same amount.

Executive John Brown told council that 99 of the county’s 119 bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Three have been closed. He predicts it would cost about $100 million in today’s dollars to repair all the county-owned bridges. He pointed out the average age of the county’s bridges is 61 years and that also happens to be each bridge’s life expectancy. He said he is concerned about safety and liability and added there are other capital needs, including a 1870s-era jail that needs to be replaced.

Brown indicated that the $1.4 million received from a vehicle registration rate hike would be required by state law to go into an account dedicated to bridge repairs.

When it came down to a vote, the registration fee hike was supported only by Cusick, Ferraro and Kraft.