BY CORY VAILLANCOURT “We did what we consider a fair amount n POLITICS E DITOR of paving, but that doesn’t get you very far,” our years after the Town of Canton said Town Manager Nick Scheuer. n made an unsuccessful push to impose a Now, the town estimates that 4,000 cars n vehicle tax to fund much-needed road would be eligible for the $30 tax if it’s enactf repairs, town officials are contemplating ed. That would raise approximately another attempt. $120,000, and since the town doesn’t have a n Back in June 2018, the town proposed a public transit system, all of it would be dedit $30 yearly vehicle registration fee that would cated to road maintenance. apply to all vehicles registered in the town, “Without it, you are looking at bandexcept for government vehicles, auto dealer aids,” said Natalie Walker, Canton’s chief t inventory and non-motorized vehicles like finance officer. — trailers. r At the time, the town estiThe proposed vehicle fee would mated that the tax would raise help fill potholes, like this one around $60,000 a year. photographed on Holtzclaw road y Stemming from a state in 2018. Cory Vaillancourt photo statute enacted in 1986, the first $5 of the vehicle tax can be used for any purpose, but the next $5 r must be used for public transy portation, if such a system y exists in the town. The rest of the tax, up to the maximum $30, must be used for roads or n streets. A lengthy public hearing was held, with almost no one supporting the tax. Many cited the potential impact of the tax on people with fixed incomes or multiple vehicles, and some resented that they had to pay to fix roads that people from outside Canton use as well. Alderman Dr. Ralph Hamlett said he felt the fee was regressive in that it would hurt the people who can least afford to pay it. Alderwomen Gail Mull and Kristina Smith Proctor joined Hamlett in voting against the it; then-Alderman James Markey was absent, Pulling money from the general fund baland Canton’s mayor only votes in the case of a ance isn’t really an option as Canton strives tie, so the motion to enact the fee died 3 to 0. to maintain a financial cushion to pay for “This is obviously a volatile issue. We much-needed flood-related items while found that out a few years ago when that awaiting reimbursement from FEMA, but was raised,” said Zeb Smathers, Canton’s other options to keep up on Canton’s aging mayor, during the town’s annual budget road system are scarce. retreat held last week. “One of things we Smathers stressed that right now, the fee heard was, ‘Spend down what you have.’ proposal is just that — a proposal. As the We’ve done that.” town goes through its budgeting process for Each year, the town receives around the coming fiscal year, the proposal may or $160,000 in Powell Bill funding from the may not make it into the final budget. If it state, earmarked for roads. While some of does, the town board would then have to that goes toward consumables like salt, a pass an ordinance similar to the one that good portion goes toward ordinary wearfailed in 2018 after holding a public hearing and-tear repairs, like potholes. on the matter. Whatever the town has left over each By state law, municipal budgets must be year goes into a sort of savings account and passed by July 1, so there will be more clarity at the time of the 2018 proposal, there was around the issue come May or June. about $400,000 in that savings account. Both the Town of Waynesville and Town Now, that’s no longer the case. of Maggie Valley have similar fees; Maggie In 2021, the town spent around $60,000 Valley’s is $5, and Waynesville’s is $15. to pave the equivalent of a 30-foot-wide road Property tax increases are not expected nearly a mile long — around 14,400 square in Canton this year, perhaps making the fee yards. easier to swallow for residents.
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Canton may try vehicle tax again F
February 2-8, 2022
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