ANOKA, Minn. – Vehicle owners in Anoka County—rejoice: wheelage taxes are going down. The county has previously been collecting a $5 per year wheelage tax on vehicles, but has now repealed that tax for 2014.
The state legislature changed the tax amount from $5 to $10 this year, but is leaving the choice as to whether or not to levy the tax up to individual counties. Each county had to make their decision by August 1st. Anoka County has been collecting the annual $5 tax for several years. However, the county board of commissioners was not comfortable moving that amount to $10; the tax was repealed in a 5 to 2 vote at this week’s board meeting. Commissioners Kordiak and LeDoux voted to keep the tax in place.
Revenue from the wheelage tax has to be spent on road maintenance projects within the county. Anoka County spends about $8 million per year on road maintenance, and has been bringing in about $1.3 million per year in the wheelage tax.
