County Executive: Municipal budgets not likely to benefit from Allegheny County vehicle registration fee

Revenue for road and bridge improvements generated by a proposed $5 increase to vehicle registration fees for Allegheny County residents likely will stay in county coffers and not fan out to fund municipal projects, county Executive Rich Fitzgerald told county council members Tuesday.

Fitzgerald said that even though Act 89 may allow a portion of the $5 fee to go directly to municipalities, the county needs the between $4.5 million and $5 million it could produce for maintenance on the 400 miles of road it owns.

“We're going to need all of that money to catch up,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald introduced the proposal to council. Council President John DeFazio, D-Shaler, put the legislation in the Budget and Finance Committee for further review.

“These are the kind of proposals that make people very upset,” Councilwoman Heather Heidelbaugh, R-Mt. Lebanon, said while questioning Fitzgerald. Heidelbaugh also asked for an update on drilling for natural gas under Deer Lakes Park.

Range Resources could start drilling from a well pad outside the park Oct. 16. Fitzgerald did not know when the well could start producing natural gas.

Range paid the county $4.7 million upfront for rights to drill under the park and will receive $3 million for a park improvement fund and 18 percent royalties.

Council also amended the county's Code of Accountability, Conduct and Ethics to, in part, prohibit the county from reimbursing employees for mileage if driving to a political event. The county's policy on mileage reimbursement and use of county-owned vehicles was an issue last year when Controller Chelsa Wagner accused Fitzgerald of driving his county-owned Jeep to political and personal events.

Fitzgerald denied misusing the county Jeep but turned in the keys and wrote a check for about $42,700 to pay for the miles he put on it as county executive.

The bill passed Tuesday, written by Heidelbaugh, contains an exemption for county employees who drive to polls during elections to deliver and service voting machines and provide supplies and ballots.

Aaron Aupperlee is a staff writer for Trib Total Media.