JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
The County Commission has approved a resolution regarding the restriction of fees for vehicle titles and registrations by the County Clerk’s Office during the Commission’s June meeting.
Upon discussing the resolution, Attorney William Gouger explained that in 2022 the state of Tennessee passed a law which added a $3.00 fee to any county clerk’s office when citizens utilize their services for title and registrations for vehicles. He added all funds approved and given to the County Clerk’s office by the Commission are both retained and restricted, with the funds to be used for no other purpose but for titles and registration services. The amount under the resolution accumulates to $105,000 in the Clerks office’s budget.
When questioned by Commissioner Ruric Brandt as to the fund’s current state, Gouger stated if the resolution were to not pass, then all funding would continue to accumulate as they have already been. He further explained how he had conferred with the state on the resolution’s legality as well as past attorneys. They explained the funds would need to be contained in order for the resolution to be satisfactory towards the law.
Commissioner Brandt expressed his opinion on the resolution. He felt the Commission should instead modify the County Clerk’s fee status rather than applying a resolution which he felt bets on taxpayer money. And during the vote to approve the resolution, Brandt was the only Commissioner to vote against the resolution’s passage.
“Do you think it would be more of an advantage for our taxpayers and the Commission to modify the County Clerk’s fee simple status rather than essentially applying a temporary fix and hoping for the best-betting on our taxpayer’s money?” said Brandt.
The resolution’s approval was given the thumbs up by a rollcall vote of 10-1, allowing County Clerk Joanie Spangler full access to the funds for the Clerk’s office when applying to title and registration fees for vehicles within the county.
