By Gary Lloyd
CLAY — The city of Clay is “ready to go” with the car tag renewal process at Clay City Hall if there are no computer glitches at the last minute, according to City Manager Ronnie Dixon.
The process begins Monday, Aug. 4.
The Clay City Council in June approved an ordinance establishing a local convenience issuance fee for the renewal of automobile tags at Clay City Hall. A $5 fee will be applied to any tags renewed at Clay City Hall.
Clay City Hall
file photo by Gary Lloyd
According to the June ordinance, Mayor Charles Webster and the Clay City Council “feel it is in the best public interest to establish said local issuance fee.”
The $5 fee will be due and payable at the same time the state registration fee becomes due for any vehicle registration issued. The annual additional local fee shall not be collected more than once per vehicle during a registration year.
The fee will be deposited into the city’s general fund and will be used for the operation of the city license plate issuing official’s office.
Tag renewals and online sales within city borders will all be routed through Clay City Hall at 2441 Old Springville Road. Online sales will mail out from Clay City Hall.
“I think this is going to be a good thing for everyone,” Clay Mayor Charles Webster said earlier this year. “Other cities that do it have been very successful.”
Rep. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood, said earlier this year that Gov. Robert Bentley had signed into law HB 112, which authorizes Jefferson County cities to issue car tags.
The city of Trussville earlier this year sent three employees to Montgomery for three days for training with the Alabama Department of Revenue, to learn to use the department’s programs and expectations with issuing vehicle tags. There is no set date on when Trussville may implement the program at Trussville City Hall.
Mayor Gene Melton said in early July that Trussville was “still working on the details” of when it may open Trussville City Hall for the issuance of car tags.
One of the questions on a survey mailed to more than 8,000 Trussville addresses in November 2013 by Melton asked if residents would renew vehicle tags at Trussville City Hall if allowed to do so. Of 1,048 responses to the question, 985 said they’d favor the renewal process at Trussville City Hall. Just 63 said they would not favor it.
Pinson will not consider issuing car tags at Pinson City Hall at this time.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
