Issues: Transportation

I will carry a transportation-related bill for the Department of Revenue.  It will add twenty cents to vehicle registrations so that the Division of Vehicle Registrations will remain solvent.

The Department of Revenue is responsible for maintaining a system to issue motor vehicle titles.  That system provides computer equipment, software, and support and training for state and county workers processing motor vehicle registration and title documents.

Funding for that system comes from a $7.20 fee that is charged when a title is issued.

The funding has not been adjusted since 2001 and, at the current rate, the Department projects a $2.9 million shortfall in fiscal year 2009-2010.  That amount is about 23 percent less than is needed to operate the program.

The result will be cuts in service to citizens.  For example, the Department expects is would discontinue the handling of mail-in record search and history requests.  Currently, 65,000 mail-in searches and 16,300 record histories are requested each year.  Ninety-five percent of those mail-in history requests are provided in one hour.

The state's economy depends on a functioning system for issuing motor-vehicle titles.  In 2007, this system processed 10,438,004 transactions and collected more than $1.05 billion in ownership taxes, registration fees, state, county, city and local taxes and fees.  Of this amount, between 25 percent and 33 percent goes directly to the state, and the remaining 67-75 percent goes to Colorado's counties and cities.

Looking at the larger picture, the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation reported that Colorado needs about 150 million dollars annually to keep up with needed repairs on our roads and bridges.  That Commission is still working for the Governor, recommending ways to fund transportation.  I will give you updates as soon as they become available.

Also, last year we held monthly Transportation Meeting luncheons, to discuss relevant issues.  I anticipate that these monthly meetings will continue during the 2009 session.