By JIMMY LAWTON

CANTON – St. Lawrence County is calling on state officials to act on legislation that would increase the county’s take of revenue generated by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Under current law St. Lawrence County receives just 12.7 percent of the fees collected from the work performed by the county-operated DMVs.

The state takes the remaining 87.3 percent.

Specifically legislators are supporting a Senate bill proposed by Sen. Ritchie and an accompanying bill in the Assembly.

Ritchie’s bill would require that 25 percent of the revenue generated from the fees collected for any motor vehicle related service shall be retained by the county clerk.

Currently county clerks retain just 12.7 percent of such fees. Additionally, the bill requires county clerks retain 60 percent of the $30 fee established for non-driver identification cards. This is an increase from the current 30 percent that is collected.

Legislators say the county’s share has not increased since 1999, but the workload from the same time has increased. They also say the increased revenue from fees could help reduce the local property tax burden, a goal the governor and legislature have called a priority in the past.

“Increasing the county DMV revenue sharing rate with the state will not result in any increased cost or fees to local residents or taxpayers and will provide counties with the needed revenue to continue to provide necessary local government services,” the resolution says. There is a clear inequity present when a county DMV provides all the services, including overhead and staffing to fulfill these DMV needs for state residents, yet the state takes 87.3 percent of the revenue generated from providing said services.”