TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - If a proposal passes in Lucas County, the cost of renewing a license plate may increase.
Keith Earley, the Lucas County engineer, is asking county commissioners to take advantage of a new state law going into effect this summer. The law would increase county revenue for road maintenance.
According to Earley, Lucas County makes just over $11 million a year off of license plate renewals. The five dollar fee increase would generate an additional $1.8 million a year for the city.
Earley says the county's funding has not kept up with inflation over the years, as road maintenance costs have gone up 70 percent while revenue has only gone up 7 percent. He says the additional income is needed to keep the county on track with its strategy of resurfacing county roads every 15 years.
"Our roads and bridges are in good shape now, but if you want to keep them that way we need additional funding. And it's much cheaper to maintain them than it is to let them fall apart and let them go bad," Earley said.
Before any public hearings are to be held, Lucas County commissioners would like to hear input from the county municipalities first.