Elkhart County's wheel tax is not likely to roll away anytime soon.
County officials say they would not repeal the wheel tax as a result of money the county will receive from the Indiana Toll Road lease.
"We're still way behind," said John Letherman about money for paving county roads.
County government will receive a one-time lump sum of more than $24 million for local transportation projects and economic development from the $3.8 billion lease. In addition, the county will receive $1.1 million a year for two years, which officials hope to use for road paving.
"For maintenance, we probably could use 1 or 2 million dollars a year," said Letherman, Elkhart County Council president. The wheel tax is an autonomous source of revenue compared with a one-time payment from the toll road lease, he said.
Last year, the county collected $2 million in wheel tax, according to Jeff Taylor, highway manager. In 2006, the county is projected to receive $2.4 million.
Money collected from the wheel tax is intended to pay for paving county roads. Last year, the county spent $1.9 million on paving.
As of last year, the county needed $6.7 million to catch up on road paving, Taylor said.
During its meeting this week, the St. Joseph County Council tabled a decision on whether to eliminate that county's wheel tax, pending the Legislature's decision on the Indiana Toll Road lease.
"If we want our roads to look like St. Joe's, we could get rid of our wheel tax," said Elkhart County Commissioner Mike Yoder.