'Big Brother' technology begins its roll down a slippery slope
Toll Road 'Scofflaws' Won't Be Able To Renew Car Registration
Aug 23, 2006
Bob Dunn
FortBendNow
Copyright 2006
People caught driving on Fort Bend County’s Parkway and Westpark Tollway without a state EZ Tag, or otherwise found to owe the county money for tolls could find themselves unable to renew their vehicle registration until they pay up.
An agreement approved Tuesday by Fort Bend County Commissioners Court members, with the Texas Department of Transportation, will allow the county to electronically “flag” a motorists registration records as a “scofflaw” if that motorists owes money for tolls.
Under the agreement, the commissioners court chose, the county now has the right to prevent motorists from renewing their vehicle registration if they owe any fees, fines or taxes. However, County Judge Bob Hebert said the court intends only to flag vehicles whose owners owe road tolls.
He said the contract was presented as an all-or-nothing opportunity for the county, thus wording that gives the county the right to withhold car registration over past-due fines and taxes had to be accepted, or else the county wouldn’t have been able to use the agreement to see that road tolls are paid up.
Hebert said the court has no intention of expanding use of the state “flags” beyond road tolls.
Meanwhile, registration renewal will become more expensive, as the court approved an order adding $1.50 to registration fees, for the establishment of a “Child Safety Fund.”
Counties were given the ability to increase fees and create such a fund under a new law passed recently by the Texas Legislature. Commissioners did not discuss how the money would be used locally.
Before the new fee, the typical cost of vehicle registration in Fort Bend County was about $63 per year.
© 2006 FortBendNow Inc.: www.fortbendnow.com
Aug 23, 2006
Bob Dunn
FortBendNow
Copyright 2006
People caught driving on Fort Bend County’s Parkway and Westpark Tollway without a state EZ Tag, or otherwise found to owe the county money for tolls could find themselves unable to renew their vehicle registration until they pay up.
An agreement approved Tuesday by Fort Bend County Commissioners Court members, with the Texas Department of Transportation, will allow the county to electronically “flag” a motorists registration records as a “scofflaw” if that motorists owes money for tolls.
Under the agreement, the commissioners court chose, the county now has the right to prevent motorists from renewing their vehicle registration if they owe any fees, fines or taxes. However, County Judge Bob Hebert said the court intends only to flag vehicles whose owners owe road tolls.
He said the contract was presented as an all-or-nothing opportunity for the county, thus wording that gives the county the right to withhold car registration over past-due fines and taxes had to be accepted, or else the county wouldn’t have been able to use the agreement to see that road tolls are paid up.
Hebert said the court has no intention of expanding use of the state “flags” beyond road tolls.
Meanwhile, registration renewal will become more expensive, as the court approved an order adding $1.50 to registration fees, for the establishment of a “Child Safety Fund.”
Counties were given the ability to increase fees and create such a fund under a new law passed recently by the Texas Legislature. Commissioners did not discuss how the money would be used locally.
Before the new fee, the typical cost of vehicle registration in Fort Bend County was about $63 per year.
© 2006 FortBendNow Inc.:
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Wednesday, August 23, 2006
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