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<p>Luzerne County Councilman Stephen J. Urban said the key to his proposed ordinance terminating an unpopular $5 vehicle registration fee is that it would take effect the end of this year.</p><p>If vehicle owners continue paying through Dec. 31, the county should amass the $2 million collection target needed to obtain the full state revenue match in that amount, Urban said.</p><p>&#8220;I promised the public I would fight to repeal, but I&#8217;m not looking for the county to lose the match,&#8221; said Urban, who took office Monday.</p><p>Council members already had approved ending the fee if no further more matches will be offered, but Urban said he believes a firm date is warranted.</p><p>The fee took effect a year ago, on Jan. 18, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation forwards fee collections to the county in June and December.</p><p>The county received its first check of $282,020 last June.</p><p>County Operational Services Division Head Edmund O&#8217;Neill said Tuesday the state forwarded a second installment of county collections totaling $850,840 on Dec. 2.</p><p>That means the county brought in $1.13 million from the fee in 2019.</p><p>If those results are repeated this year, the county would hit the $2 million match, said county Manager C. David Pedri.</p><p>&#8220;My major concern was leaving state money on the table,&#8221; Pedri said.</p><p>Stressing the decision is up to council, Pedri said the county would put funding to good use if the fee continued beyond 2020 because it owns 128 miles of roads and 300 bridges.</p><p>&#8220;We still have a huge need with all the bridges and roads that must be maintained and repaired,&#8221; he said.</p><p>When Urban proposed the amendment Monday, Councilman Robert Schnee said he pushed for the sunset provision because he wants the fee to end if no more matches are offered.</p><p>A council majority voted to table the ordinance pending a PennDOT briefing to verify the $2 million match will be provided under the termination plan and to confirm Councilman Walter Griffith&#8217;s finding that no further state matches will be offered.</p><p>On the issue of tabling, Griffith sent his colleagues an email late Monday asserting there is no provision in the home rule charter or administrative code that allows tabling of an ordinance introduction if four council members want to proceed. He said the ordinance should be introduced with the required four votes at the Jan. 14 meeting.</p><p>Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck replied with an email stating Griffith is correct.</p><p>&#8220;Unless at least four people are interested in the discussion of the terms of the ordinance, why bring PennDOT at all?&#8221; she wrote.</p><p>Four council members clearly support the ordinance introduction because they voted against the tabling: Urban, Griffith, McClosky Houck and Harry Haas.</p><p>To qualify for the state vehicle fee match, the county must spend its fee revenue on bridge projects.</p><p>The county administration had identified and obtained state clearance for three bridge projects totaling around $4 million &#8212; two to be funded by the county&#8217;s $2 million in collected fees and one covered by the $2 million state match, officials have said.</p><p>The two county-funded repairs are for the West Liberty Street Bridge in Hanover Township and the East County Road Bridge in Hollenback Township. The match-funded project will be the Hillside Road Bridge in Kingston Township.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Urban </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/web1_Urban.jpeg.jpg</photo0><caption0>Urban </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County Councilman Urban explains $5 vehicle fee termination proposal