Important new fees meant to help fund Colorado’s challenged transportation network took effect last week and, unfortunately, the rollout was marred by negative public reaction that could have been better mitigated.
While we support the so-called FASTER legislation that boosted vehicle registration fees, we were surprised by the higher penalties the state is also levying against those who pay their registration late.
The new auto-registration fees, which increase an average of $41, are meant to raise $250 million a year to help repair the 125 bridges in the state deemed structurally deficient. The fees are assessed by vehicle weight.
The increase is necessary. Fuel-efficient cars have drastically cut the usefulness of state and federal gas taxes that fund transportation infrastructure. And though we understand that paying more to register cars and boats hurts more during a recession than it would in more stable times, Colorado still needs more than $1 billion in new money each year to repair and build new roads.
At some point, we all have to pay more for our roads. A transportation committee concluded that Colorado needs between $500 million and $1.5 billion each year to keep up its roads and bridges.That means the $250 million the new registration fees will collect is hardly the complete solution.
We’ve long asked for a more serious debate on raising the gas tax, or finding other funding streams that are responsibly tied to highway use. But politicians fear those debates because of negative public reaction.
The penalties for late payment, which are separate from the higher registration fees, stirred up a lot of anger among Coloradans earlier this month. That anger is understandable, yet it’s unfortunate because we worry it could deter lawmakers from making hard decisions in the future when it comes to transportation funding.
Some vehicle owners were stunned last week by new, mandatory late fees of $25 per month. Penalties will be capped at $100. As The Post’s Lynn Bartels reported, the old penalties were just $10 and could be waived under certain circumstances.
The penalties seem out of proportion. And we question why they must be mandatory and are no longer subject to a reasonable waiver at the county level, such as for a prolonged illness.
Hopefully the anger doesn’t cloud future funding debates. Lawmakers should reconsider the late fees when they assemble next session, and make them more in line with the registration costs so they’re not just seen as a revenue-generator. Also, they should reinstate the waiver process.
Nevertheless, the new registration fees are an important step toward shoring up our infrastructure.
