Wayne eyes vehicle stickers to plug budget hole
Leaders in the village of Wayne have cut $700,000 from road maintenance in response to the recession and sagging village revenues.
But one option on the table to raise more money for maintenance is starting a vehicle sticker program.
Four people running for three village trustee seats in the April 5 election likely will have a say on the matter when it comes up in late-April.
Incumbents Peter Connolly, Ed Hull and Robert Reed are each seeking another 4-year term and challenger Scott Coryell hopes to land his first term of public service.
Not only has no vote been taken, trustees have not agreed on a yearly cost for the stickers.
One suggestion is $30 a year for motorcycles with the cost of $25 if residents buy them within 90 days of the program’s inception. The cost would be $60 for cars and pickup trucks with a discount to $50 for early purchase.
Under state law, trustees must use the money for road maintenance; officials don’t have a firm estimate on how much would be raised but say it should be at least $50,000 the first year.
“In theory, I still support the vehicle sticker,” said Connolly, a trustee since 1995, who added the village would hope for voluntary compliance instead of doling out tickets. “I believe in my heart of hearts some kind of vehicle sticker fee is needed.”
The issue was suggested by some residents at a November town hall meeting.
Reed, a trustee since 2007, did not voice any major objections to it.
“This was their (the residents’) suggestion to deal with our cash flow needs,” he said.
Coryell said he believes it’s difficult to gauge interest in whether people want a vehicle sticker program and, if so, it would be difficult for the village to keep tabs on.
“It goes back to enforcement,” he said.
Efforts to reach Hull, trustee since 1994, were not successful.
Officials have made road maintenance a priority, saying if it is deferred too long, key roads could need total reconstruction in the future and that would cost more in the long run.