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by VDC staff
Searching for more money for the transportation fund, Vermont lawmakers are laying the groundwork for a mileage-based user fee (MBUF), Vermont transportation policy expert Matt Cota said in his newsletter, Meadow Hill Sunday View.
Vermont now relies on gasoline/diesel purchase taxes, mostly paid at the pump, to build and repair state roads and bridges. But with the rise of EVs, another method of payment is needed. And that alternative may soon apply not only to EVs, but to fuel-driven vehicles as well.
The initial proposal would apply only to electric vehicles, swapping the current flat EV fee of $89 with a per-mile charge using odometer readings. While officials say broader expansion is not on the immediate horizon, decisions made in the next few months could shape whether MBUF becomes Vermont’s long-term transportation funding model.
Legislators are considering transitioning all vehicles – not just EVs – to user fees and away from fuel consumption to odometer readings, Sen. Pat Brennan confirmed on WDEV’s Vermont Viewpoint today. However, it’s early days and the focus, now, is on the EV MBUF.
Vermont AOT official Pat Murphy will present info about the MBUF to House Transportation at 1 PM on Wednesday and at 11 AM Wednesday in Senate Transportation.
One license plate only
Lawmakers are revisiting a proposal to allow single license plates on passenger vehicles while tightening enforcement against tinted or obscured plates. The DMV supports the change as a modernization effort, noting that inconsistent front-plate enforcement has persisted for years. Single plates reduce cost and administrative burdens, while the tinting language addresses growing enforcement concerns.
Retired Milton cop named to highway safety leadership
The Vermont Highway Safety Alliance (VHSA) has appointed Paul Locke as Vice Chair of its Board of Directors, bringing more than 25 years of law enforcement and traffic safety leadership.
Locke, a lifelong Vermonter from St. Johnsbury, recently retired from the Milton Police Department, where he served since 1999 in a variety of roles including patrol officer, detective, and patrol sergeant. Throughout his career, Locke paired enforcement with education to change behaviors and save lives on Vermont roadways.
“Traffic safety is one area of policing where you can have an immediate and lasting impact,” said Locke. “It’s about education, prevention, and changing behaviors—not just enforcement. I’m honored to continue serving Vermont in this role and to work alongside like-minded partners who are committed to making our roads safer for everyone.”
Locke began his public service career by joining the Vermont Army National Guard as a Military Police officer before earning a degree in Criminal Justice and entering local law enforcement. Over the years, he became a Child Passenger Safety Technician, Drug Recognition Expert (DRE), highway safety grant administrator, and traffic safety campaign manager, traveling nationwide for training and conferences.
Excavators-in-Chief
And speaking of public servants expertise in transportation – both Gov. Phil Scott and Lt. Gov. John Rodgers have been known to help out their neighbors behind the wheel by operating excavators. Several years ago, after a big storm, Gov. Scott was photographed clearing out his neighbors driveway at the controls of a large road grader. Calling into Vermont Viewpoint Monday, January 26, Lt. Gov. Rodgers asked host Brad Ferland if he could hear him because he was busy in his farm’s excavator shoveling snow for his Northeast Kingdom neighbors.
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Categories: Legislation, Taxes, Transportation
From a purely aesthetic point of view, owners of pointy fronted sports cars will rejoice at the removal of front license plates ruining the appearance of their cars.
So you waste our tax dollars on incentives to get people to buy electric vehicles. Now you want to impead those of us who already pay enough fuel tax, by increasing it to subsidize poor decisions made by the government. Where is the accountability? Fix the spending, stop bleeding us. Tell me Guy, how do I fight this?
Cute article…and no doubt they were clearing snow with heavy equipment..but not likely “excavators”.
And how do you charge this MBUF to the 15,000,000 tourists that flock here each year. I’ll be damned if I’ll pay for their share.
Another example of these brainiacs in Montpelier not being able to think outside of the box.
That is what the toll booths are you. This idea is finally being licked around.
Looks like the long denied -but very much wished for- CARBON TAX is at the doorstep. Don’t stand in the way as the legislators will rush to let it in.
Hold on one cotton picking minute here. Last week didn’t Phil Scott promise NO NEW TAXES and NO INCREASE IN THE GAS TAX?
Enlighten me, please.
Dan, It’s a game that politicians play. The gas tax won’t increase because it will be changed to a different area, mileage. Although, they’ll probably still need to have a gas tax, justified by out of state drivers that need to pay their fair share. So, there again, the gas tax won’t increase but VTers will have to pay more based on the mileage we drive between inspections. There may be a flat fee at the bottom end of the mileage chart so retirees who only drive say 3000 miles per year won’t be rewarded for driving so few miles.
If one has a long drive to and from work OR those who use a vehicle for a living will pay dearly.
Gas tax will never go away, New Taxes are always promised, from history anywhere to replace an existing tax but the new one is implemented and old one never eliminated
NO on the mileage based tax for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. There is already a system in place for that which covers all ICE vehicles traversing our roads. The problem to be solved is EVs not paying their fair share. Taxes can be easily assessed at the POS of all public pay for use charging stations. As for employers who may offer/provide charging for employees with EVs: same thing: meter the usage and bill the electric account holder. Personal residential chargers should be required to install separate meters which will track transportation electrical usage and customers billed accordingly. To ensure compliance, all personal residential charging stations must be permitted (and inspected for safety). There is no need to reinvent the wheel, EVs caused this, EV owners can pony up and pay for the solution…they want to save the world (rare earth mineral depletion, polluting mining practices and human labor exploitation notwithstanding), let them pay for it!
The tax has nothing to do with ICE vehicles. I went to a legislature breakfast last spring) and Representative Peter Conlon stated that the state isn’t generating enough fuel tax because gas vehicles are too efficient and get great gas mileage. This has been planned for some time. The question to ask is what international entities are pushing this solution to fund transportation costs! Answer: the United Nations and its partners. The same entity that demands decarbonization and the use of electric cars. Please note below that the reason that fuel taxes will not fund the necessary infrastructure changes. Peter Conlon also stated that the state can’t collect enough revenue via gas taxes.
Various international and national bodies, including the UNECE (via Intelligent Transport Systems), the International Road Federation, and the OECD’s International Transport Forum, promote Mileage-Based User Fees (MBUF) or Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) taxes as modern transportation funding solutions. These initiatives focus on replacing declining fuel taxes with odometer-based charges to manage road infrastructure costs.
When was any tax left in the rearview mirror??
This tax per mile has been in the works for some time. It’s part of the whole vehicle safety inspection program, that’s how they’re going to track your mileage. While many states are eliminating state inspections Vermont is not going to do this. It’s already underway they just won’t acknowledge it.
And the politicians worry about homelessness? With fees for car registration and licenses, mileage/gas taxes, insurance and that repair bill from the inspection station, the bleeding hearts may have to start worrying about car-less-ness also.
I’m sure “they’ll” find a way to keep the gas tax plus add a mileage tax. Just got my vehicle registration renewal- now $91 a year ($167) if you shell out for two years. One way or another we’re screwed. Would be nice if they spent a little of it on fixing the roads.
Can’t do that John, not with bloated unsustainable education funding sucking from the transportation teat.