No more decals! No more decals!

Column by Mike Hodge

Congratulations, Augusta County, you are showing leadership on those pesky car decals!
In case you haven’t heard, Augusta County is looking at getting rid of their vehicle decals. Before you get too happy, you’ll still have to pay the annual fee, but won’t have the hassle of trying to get your old sticker off and the new one on.
I’m all for this! And hopefully, Staunton and Waynesboro will follow.

I have no problem paying the fee, just get rid of the stickers. After all, what is it exactly that they do for us? Eliminating the stickers will save the localities money. With the state-budget shortfall, you know the amount of monies given to the local towns and counties will be decreasing. When you do away with the decals, you will save the printing cost and more each year. This may not add up to a budget surplus, but it adds up.

I live in Staunton, and just last year the city didn’t have its act together, and the decals were not available when paying personal-property taxes. Therefore the city had to mail those stickers out to those of us who paid for them with our taxes. This was not a wise use of taxpayer money. I wonder, did the new year sneak upon the city?

I’m sure the police have better things to do than to look for expired decals, though there seems to be very laxed enforcement to begin with.

Staunton and Waynesboro would be wise to follow this lead. Even though we know Waynesboro has problems with referendums. Heck, even Charlottesville eliminated their decals. They issue tickets now if you have one on your windshield!

What do you think, Staunton and Waynesboro? Want to join the 21st century by getting rid of something archaic?

Mike Hodge is an Augusta Free Press political correspondent.