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Monday, May 9, 2011

Texas Municipal League Announces Major Increase in State Fees on Traffic Fines

NEWS RELEASE ~ BoMay 9, 2011

Texas Municipal League Announces Major Increase in
State Fees on Traffic Fines

For immediate release:

The Texas Municipal League recently announced that the Texas Senate has voted to increase state fees on every traffic ticket to $87.  The House of Representatives is considering a separate bill that would add another $15on top of that for a total of $102 in state fees on each municipal or county traffic ticket.

“Using a tax on city traffic tickets to pay for state programs is a deceptive way to increase spending that turns city police officers in to state tax collectors,” said Texas Municipal League Executive Director Bennett Sandlin.  “Legislators want to use the revenue for worthwhile state programs.  But adding more state fees to municipal traffic violations is just the wrong way for the state to raise money regardless of how worthy the cause.  The legislature is making minor traffic infractions unaffordable for many drivers and uncollectable for cities,.”

Since 2002, the state fee on every municipal traffic violation, except for pedestrian and parking violations, has more than doubled, rising from $40 to $82.  Regardless of the amount a city is able to collect on a traffic violation, the state gets $82 before the city gets any fine money.

The Legislative Budget Board estimates that only 65% of traffic fines will be paid with the additional state fee.  Some cities have seen collection rates drop below 50% as state fees have soared.
 wie County Phalanx

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