Bluffton, others approve wheel taxes

By BOB SHRALUKA

WZBD.com

With a pending deadline date of Sept. 1 coming next week, wheel taxes were approved in a number of Indiana communities earlier this week, including Bluffton.

In order to go into effect on January 1, these types of taxes must be approved by Sept. 1.

Bluffton on Tuesday night passed a tax of $25 on all vehicles.

“No one in this council wanted to do this today,” Bluffton Councilman Josh Hunt told WANE 15. “But we know that we have to invest back into the City of Bluffton, and we know it is important to keep good streets for our citizens.”

Plymouth, Goshen and Evansville approved wheel taxes on Monday.

Both Plymouth and Goshen passed the maximum amount allowed by the state: $25 on small vehicles (passenger vehicles and motorcycles) and $40 on larger ones (Rvs, trucks).

Evansville, meanwhile, okayed taxes of $30 on commercial vehicles, $20 on vehicles, and $10 on motorcycles.

Last week, Decatur City Council approved a wheel tax of $30 and a vehicle excise tax of $20. Both were under the maximums of $40 and $25 allowed by the state.

Decatur Mayor Dan Rickord said at the time that the State of Indiana will be making available some $80 million to be distributed around the state next year for street/road projects. To have any chance of capturing some of those funds, the city must have the wheel taxes, he explained.

He also noted that Community Crossing monies are going to be harder to come by in 2026 as the state program will accept grant applications only once a year instead of the current norm of two.

“So they (CC grants) are going to be much more difficult to get,” he added.

Decatur will administer the taxes and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) will collect the monies at the time of vehicle registration.