Scott Signs Off On Vehicle Fee Cuts To ‘Right The Wrong’

April 3, 2014

During a politically charged bill-signing ceremony, Gov. Rick Scott gave final approval Wednesday to rolling back vehicle-registration fees that were increased in 2009 amid state budget woes.

Scott repeatedly noted that the unpopular fee increases were enacted under former Gov. Charlie Crist, who is seeking to unseat Scott during this November’s election.

“We’re going to right the wrong of this 2009 tax increase that Charlie Crist enacted,” Scott said.

The bill (SB 156) signed by Scott, one of his “critical” priorities for this spring’s legislative session, is expected to save Floridians between $20 and $25 per vehicle registration, with the total depending on the size of the vehicle.

Kevin Cate, a spokesman for Crist’s campaign, responded to Scott’s announcement by saying the “ridiculous press conference” exposed the current governor’s “political desperation.”

“Everyone knows that Charlie Crist signed one of the largest tax cuts (a property tax cut) in the history of Florida and was also forced to make tough decisions to prevent devastating blows to teachers, students, first responders, and our most vulnerable Floridians,” Cate said in an email.

The fee cuts will take effect Sept. 1, two months into the state’s new fiscal year. Scott said he wants motorists whose vehicle registration renewals are up before September to only pay for one year, rather than two, so that they can realize the savings in 2015.

The rollback is part of Scott’s election-year request for $500 million in cuts and fees, with the vehicle-fee reductions expected to trim state revenue by $309.1 million during the upcoming 2014-15 fiscal year and $394.6 million in later years, when the cuts will be in effect for a full 12 months.

Indian River County Tax Collector Carole Jean Jordan said her office is contacting people whose vehicle registrations are up before Sept. 1 to only pay for one year and has already removed the box on forms for people to mark two-year payments.

“If someone sends us a check for a two -year renewal, we’re not a small county, but we’re able to call people, we look up their phone numbers, so we get hold of them, we tell them they really shouldn’t renew for the second year,” said Jordan, a former chairwoman of the Republican Party of Florida.

The bill signing, however, was surrounded by the politics of an election year.

Some Democratic House members, who supported the bill, noted they were not invited to attend the signing ceremony in the Cabinet meeting room. The Florida Democratic Party called the event “shameless grandstanding” by Scott.

“These auto tag fees were always a temporary measure that Rick Scott should have cut as soon as possible, and Democrats have consistently supported repeal,” Democratic Party spokesman Joshua Karp said in the release. “Instead, Rick Scott waited until his election year to conduct a phony victory lap.”

The Republican-dominated Legislature approved the fee increases in 2009 as the state grappled with a budget shortfall that stemmed from the economic recession. Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, who was in the House in 2009, told reporters after the bill-signing that Crist’s office gave lawmakers little choice but to approve the increases to help ward off the shortfall.

“We were given a stark choice of closing hospitals, closing schools, and placing, we talk of vulnerable Floridians, in even more jeopardy,” Gaetz said.

Other increases in 2009 included a hike in late-payment fees on driver’s license renewals, from $1 to $15. Also, the cost of an original driver’s license went from $27 to $48, first-time registrations of cars went from $100 to $225, and cigarette taxes were increased by $1 a pack.

Asked why only one of the 2009 increases was targeted for repeal, Scott responded that “there was a lot of opportunities, this was the most important one this year.”

by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida

Comments

3 Responses to “Scott Signs Off On Vehicle Fee Cuts To ‘Right The Wrong’”

  1. Rufus Lowgun on April 3rd, 2014 5:14 pm

    ““We were given a stark choice of closing hospitals, closing schools, and placing, we talk of vulnerable Floridians, in even more jeopardy,”

    If you care so much about those vulnerable Floridians, Mr. Gaetz, how about expanding those medicaid rolls like everyone else is doing and getting those vulnerable Floridians some health care. We get it, you and Gov. Voldemort don’t like Obamacare. You made your political point, so how about helping some people that need it now. Florida is second only to Texas in the number of people that have no access to affordable health care.

  2. joebagofdoughnutz on April 3rd, 2014 3:07 pm

    So if Gov. Scott is righting a wrong, why does it take till September to stop doing wrong.

    I think this has something to do with the coming election.

  3. Robert S. on April 3rd, 2014 6:39 am

    Agree this is a near last ditch political move by Rick Scott, however, know that if it were Charlie Crist now in office he may well do the same thing.
    Anything to produce a vote.
    Costs of all programs that are state funded will continue to rise, especially the needs of the aging population who by the way are just older and not all “vulnerable”.
    Vulnerable are the young people and middle aged group who need viable, well paying and long term employment and Florida seems to reject those types of opportunities in this area.
    No matter who wins the governorship, Florida is in for a rough patch as my feeling is these two gentlemen are more interested in themselves than they are in the people of the state who they will govern.
    Please God, watch over us all and protect us from the politics.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News