Minnesota Counties Considering New Wheelage Tax

UNDATED  (AP) - County commissioners across the state are considering wheelage taxes after the Legislature recently expanded the option beyond Twin Cities metro counties.

Julie Ring, legislative coordinator for the Association of Minnesota Counties, says Brown, Mower and Rice counties already have approved the new tax, revenues of which go to road repairs.

The "wheelage tax" could be as high as $10 per car or truck and would be paid when drivers register their vehicles with the state each year.

Hennepin County will hold a public hearing on the tax Tuesday, with commissioners set to vote in mid-July.

Lawmakers also recently made it possible for Minnesota's 87 counties to impose a sale tax to help pay for transportation and transit projects without a referendum.