By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — Vestavia Hills will be the first Jefferson County city to offer residents the option of buying vehicle tags at city hall instead of standing in long lines at county courthouses.
Vestavia Hills will begin its program April 1.
Trussville last week sent City Clerk Lynn Porter, Administrative Assistant Bob Christmas and Chris Coleman to Montgomery for three days for training with the Alabama Department of Revenue. Trussville Mayor Gene Melton said the three were trained on how to use the Department of Revenue’s programs and learned what they’ll be expected to do.
“We’re learning the process now,” Melton said.
Melton said all cities who may participate in the program will have their eyes on Vestavia Hills, to see how that goes and if anything will need to be tweaked. Melton said there is no set date on when Trussville may begin offering the service to residents.
“We’re going to try to make sure that everybody else has had a chance to invent the wheel,” he said.
Melton said residents have called and emailed him about the possibility, hoping to find out when they can begin renewing and buying car tags at Trussville City Hall on Main Street.
“I think it would be great (for the city),” Melton said.
The city of Clay has also expressed interest in selling car tags. Clay City Manager Ronnie Dixon has said that Clay will participate if the test at Vestavia Hills goes well. Pinson will likely not consider the move at this time.
Rep. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood, said last month that Gov. Robert Bentley had signed into law HB 112, which authorizes Jefferson County cities to issue car tags.
Trussville City Councilman Brian Plant has said that if issuing car tags from Trussville City Hall is “practical,” then it’s something Trussville residents will want offered. One of the questions on a survey mailed to more than 8,000 Trussville addresses in November 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.
The new law allows cities to charge up to $5 more to cover their costs.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.