Trumbull County municipalities and townships are using their portion of permissive license plate fees to either directly maintain their roads or as matching funds to obtain federal dollars for road improvements.

Eight cities or villages and five townships collect between the minimum of $5 and the maximum $20 that can be obtained from vehicle owners living in their communities.

Each of the local permissive tax fees are in addition to Ohio’s standard $34.50 fee that all car owners pay when they renew their vehicle licenses plates.

In Trumbull’s six communities that collect $5 fees, vehicle owners annually pay $39.50 per vehicle to obtain new or retain existing plates. However, the owners of passenger vehicles in Newton Falls and Warren — each of which charges the maximum $20 in fees — are required to pay $54.50 per plate.

Mayor James Melfi of Girard, where vehicle owners pay $15 per vehicle, said the $60,000 earned from the fees does not pay for very much in road repair.

Gary Shaffer, deputy director of the Trumbull County Engineer’s Office, said county officials previously attempted to persuade voters to approve a permissive fee increase, but the idea was soundly rejected.

Cortland council recently passed legislation to increase its permissive tax by $5, making the fee go from $10 to $15 per year. The increase is expected to raise an additional $37,500 per year.

The additional tax will go into effect Jan. 1, and all the funds generated will go strictly toward road repair and maintenance, officials said.

Last year, Warren approved increasing its license plate fee from $15 per vehicle to $20 per vehicle. Prior to the increase, the city earned $472,0000 annually from the three $5 fees. Each $5 fee earned $157,000 per year.

City Engineer Paul Makosky said the money from the new permissive fee will be used on a variety of projects, including as matching funds that will enable the city to complete large road construction projects.

Niles Mayor Tom Scarnecchia is expected to ask City Council to approve two $5 license plate fee increases to raise $180,000 next year to help pave side streets and provide a local match for federal grant dollars for resurfacing in 2020. The city’s current permissive fee is $5.

Two council members, Frank Pezzano, D-1st Ward, and Linda Marchese, D-3rd Ward, already expressed their opposition to increasing the fees in April.

In Mahoning County, 11 communities, including Youngstown, Canfield and Poland, have the maximum $20 permissive license plate fees, and 15 communities, including Austintown, have $15 fees.

rsmith@tribtoday.com