The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office reminds residents that starting July 1 they will pay higher motor vehicle registration fees under a bill adopted this year.

SB09-108, the Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery bill that became law on March 2, includes rate hikes for three consecutive years.

The increase for the average vehicle, weighing 2,000-5,000 pounds, will be $32 for the year 2009-2010. In July 2010, registration goes up by $36.50, and in July 2011, it increases by $41. Registration fees for motorcycles, passenger buses, and heavier vehicles also will go up.

Residents whose tags expire in July or later may not renew early to avoid the higher fees.

Meantime, The Associated Press cited a KMGH-TV report in Denver this week that pointed out a legal loophole may be letting thousands of Coloradans skip paying car registration fees. The loophole allows motorists to repeatedly pay fines for failing to register their cars, which can be cheaper than paying registration fees.

The station reported more than 200,000 tickets have been written in Colorado over the past three years for expired registration.

House Speaker Terrance Carroll said the solution is changing the law to give local government authority to force drivers to register their cars as a condition of settling the ticket, the way the law handles drivers ticketed for not having insurance.

He said fixing the law will have to wait until next year because the session is nearly over.

Herbs, including basil, generally do very well in containers. Photo by Kristina Iodice, The Gazette