County’s vehicle owner fee funds box culvert repairs

Project paid for with about $2 million from annual revenue

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Blair County has replaced four box culverts on County Road 101 in Greenfield and Freedom townships, using revenue generated by the annual $5 fee paid by vehicle owners.

Commissioner Amy Webster, during Tuesday's commissioners meeting, encouraged residents using the road to notice the new pavement and enjoy it.

She also pointed out that the project was funded with about $2 million in vehicle registration fees revenue, paid annually by county vehicle owners.

By using the fee revenue, Webster said the county avoided having to depend on general fund revenue that comes from real estate taxes.

Commissioners on Monday, with the assistance of Keller Engineers, held short ribbon cutting ceremonies on the replacement box culverts, which were structurally deficient.

In March 2018, Keller Engineers representative Brian Wiser addressed commissioners about the box culverts that were part of an effort to improve County Road 101.

At that time, then commissioners Bruce Erb, Terry Tomassetti and Ted Beam Jr. embraced the recommendation of relying on vehicle registration fee revenue for the project. Wiser also said that the county's allocation could be viewed as the required match toward a $2 million PennDOT RoadMaP grant for additional county-owned bridge repairs.

Blair County introduced the vehicle fee in 2015 based on legislation allowing its collection and requiring the revenue to be spent on bridge and road improvements.

At that time, more than a dozen vehicle owners objected to the proposed fee. But Commissioners Terry Tomassetti, Diane Meling and Ted Beam Jr. voted unanimously in favor of it after pointing to an engineering study showing 25 of the county's 64 bridges as structurally deficient.

PennDOT collects the county's $5 fee when residents pay their state registration fee for automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, motorhomes and camping trailers. Some exemptions are available.

Online information indicates that Blair is one of 25 counties where residents pay the $5 fee. Residents in neighboring Cambria and Centre counties also pay the fee.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.