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Luzerne County’s controversial $5 vehicle registration fee must remain in place for at least another year to generate enough revenue to obtain a $2 million dollar-for-dollar state match, county County Engineer Lawrence Plesh said Monday.
Based on receipts so far, Plesh projected the county won’t hit its $2 million collection target until December 2020.
The state transportation department collects and forwards fee receipts to the county in June and December. The county received its first check of $282,020 in June, but this was not for a full six months because the fee took effect Jan. 18.
Plesh said he is expecting next month’s installment to range from $600,000 to $700,000, or half of the $1.2 million to $1.4 million the county was estimated to receive annually. Even at the higher end, the county won’t reach $2 million until December 2020, he said.
Continuation of the fee is an issue because county council had added a sunset provision to automatically end the fee if the state is no longer providing a funding match — a subject that came up last week.
Stopping the fee before $2 million is collected would shortchange the county on the full match, county Manager C. David Pedri said Monday. He said he will revisit the fee continuance as the county nears the $2 million collection to see if the state is willing to provide a second match and if council want to keep the fee in place.
The state transportation department has not announced any intention of providing a second match.
Bridge plans
To qualify for the match, the county must spend its fee revenue on bridge projects.
Plesh said the administration has identified and obtained state clearance for three bridge projects totaling around $4 million — two to be funded by the county’s $2 million in collected fee and one covered by the $2 million state match.
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.
The 52-foot West Liberty span over Solomon Creek must be addressed because a routine inspection earlier this year prompted a reduction of its weight limit from 16 tons to 3 tons, preventing crossing by school buses, fire trucks and ambulances, Pedri has said.
This project is currently in the permitting and design stage, with construction expected to begin next summer, Plesh said.
The estimated costs: design, $156,740; construction, $750,000; and right-of-way and other expenses, $100,000. The bridge technically is on East Division Street, which is part of the continued stretch named West Liberty Street.
“We want to get it done before the 2020-21 school year,” Plesh said.
Construction of the Hollenback Township bridge is estimated at $800,000, with another $248,700 for design, right-of-way and other expenses. Work is projected to begin in spring 2021.
The Hillside Road Bridge construction is projected at $1.55 million plus $500,000 for design, right-of-way and other expenses, the county said. State approval is pending on the county’s design consultant selection, with construction scheduled for 2022.
The county owns 300 bridges, many accepted from municipalities struggling during the Great Depression, officials have said.