05/06/2026
We received several questions about our operation during the discussion of the Permissive Tax request, so we wanted to provide some additional information for you. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office at 330.287.5500
Frequently Asked Questions About Permissive/License Plate Funding
• How many miles do you maintain?
• We maintain 499 miles of roadways in Wayne County. This does not include state routes, township roads, or streets in a city or village. The almost 500 miles ranks us number 2 in the state out of all 88 counties. Interesting additional fact, we are number 2 in bridges as well at 481.
• How come buggies, e-bikes, golf carts do not have to register their vehicles and pay this tax?
o Under Ohio Revised Code (ORC), a county is not permitted to levy their own tax on these forms of transportation. It isn’t a bad idea, just not the proper mechanism. A State Legislator would be the responsible party to make any of these changes
• How come farm equipment isn’t taxed with plates or overloaded vehicles
o This is also regulated by ORC and can only be changed by the Ohio Legislature
• Is the full-depth reclamation the process used on Smithville Western last year with all of the problems?
o Yes, it is. Reclamation is a proven process that mills up the existing roadbed, recycling beneficial materials, such as stone and bitumen (asphalt), and relaying and compacting them into a new roadbed. The issues last year were the result of material and weather issues. We have revised our process to prevent this in the future.
• How much does our office receive for road improvements every year?
o Our annual budget is just over $9.0 million, of which we spend approximately $ 2.5 million in roadway maintenance. The additional revenue from the $5 will go 100% towards road maintenance and reconstruction.
• How much money does the engineer’s office receive in gas tax each year?
o Our operation is comprised of License Plate Fees (39%), Permissive Taxes (14%), Gas Tax (43%), and misc. fees and services (4%). Each county in the state of Ohio received the same gas tax amount, roughly $3.9 million per year.
• Does the engineer’s office perform maintenance on the ditches to help keep the water away from tearing the roads up?
o Yes, we have a dedicated ditch crew that works throughout the year to maintain the ditches and resolve water issues.
• Why don’t the Amish pay for anything?
o They actually do. Each year, most Amish Churches take up a collection for their annual use on the roadways. This is done statewide and the amounts are split between county and townships based upon the population of the church and where they reside. In 2025, Wayne County received $ 161,615 towards our roadways. This is included in the miscellaneous fees portion of our budget.
• What roads are going to be redone if this new tax is approved?
o Although we are not listing specific roads to be considered for the work, every year we drive all 500 miles of roadways to create an evaluation of the entire system. This is based on rideability, last maintenance, profile, average daily traffic, and overall condition. This allows us to see where the need truly is. Our next year’s maintenance plan is based upon these results.
• How much money does the Engineer’s Office receive in state or federal funding, if any?
o Our office goes after any grant dollar we can to help sustain our massive system. In fact, we have even taken some 0% loans just to get a roadway grant so the road can be improved. Although the number varies from year to year, we receive around a million dollars on average for bridge and some roadway projects. Roadway projects are harder to come by simply because they are so competitive.
• Why don’t you show a detailed list of where all of the money goes?
o We actually do. Every year, the County Engineer is required in ORC to produce an Annual Report detailing the operations of the office including financial details. We have 15 years of Annual Reports right here. If you would like more details, we are happy share, just contact us at 330.287.5500.
• How much will the new tax generate?
o For this tax, every vehicle registered in the county with an annual renewal will pay an additional $5. In 2025, Wayne County including municipalities had 140,303 units which equates to just over $700,000 additional.
• If you have spent millions on roundabouts, why do you need additional money?
o Although we did construct a roundabout in 2025 and the cost was just over $2 million, federal safety funds paid for 90% of the costs. In addition, those federal funds cannot be used for road maintenance activities such as paving.
