Parke County Commissioners, Amish agree to new road use fee rate

A wave of meetings and discussions between the Parke County Commissioners and the county's Amish community has resulted in a raise of the rates the community pays for its buggy fees/road use fee. 

"All gasoline users pay a gasoline tax when they purchase gas for their vehicles. Those fees are collected by the state, and, partially, redistributed to counties for road maintenance. Amish pay a gas tax when they are driven by drivers in vehicles by way of the vehicle owner paying it when he buys gas. That fuel cost is passed on to the Amish by them paying that driver for transportation," Commissioner Jim Meece told The Parke County Post. 

For the last seven years, the buggy fee has been $50, and Meece said the Amish had to display a plate on each buggy to show they paid the fee. There are consequences, including being ticketed, if there is no plate, according to Meece. 

Meece said the Commissioners met with some of the Amish community leadership and exchanged ideas pertaining to various rates that other counties charge. 

"I believe LaGrange County fees were $150 per buggy and $120 per pony cart. They have a very large Amish population. All Amish leadership present agreed that we should be at that same level as others or very similar," Meece said. 

The veteran county lawmaker acknowledged it was the Amish who suggested raising the fee from $50 to $100 and then working up to $150 in the future. 

"The Commissioners agreed with that. The Amish are very aware that their horseshoes damage the roads, and we are all looking into ways to mitigate that with prevention and maintenance," Meece said. 

Meece said the discussions showed him something he already believed to be true. 

"It has been my experience in all matters that the Amish community intends to be good neighbors and are good neighbors. I began speaking with them sometime ago about the necessity to review that long standing fee and consider if it needs to be increased. They welcomed the suggestion and agreed it should be evaluated," Meece said.