The new gas tax sticker, outlining state and federal taxes on each gallon of fuel will be attached to county gas pumps throughout the year as members of the county auditor’s weights and measures team perform annual routine gas pump inspections. (Photo submitted)
County gas pumps are getting a new look.
A new sticker, which itemizes the tax rates that are being charged, will soon be affixed to most gas pumps in the county, Union County Auditor Andrea Weaver announced recently.
Weaver wrote that the purpose of the stickers is to “inform the consumer of the taxes they are paying with their fuel purchase.”
“These stickers are another informational tool that will benefit consumers,” Weaver wrote. “It increases the transparency of fuel prices for Union County residents.”
The red, approximately four-inch by four-inch labels show a breakdown of state and federal taxes being levied on each gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel, along with the total tax amount. The stickers also outline how state dollars are distributed.
The stickers will be affixed by Weaver’s weights and measures team members during their routine gas pump inspections. The state of Ohio assists in testing and inspecting of vehicle scales, fuel meters and packaged consumer goods.
The county auditor is listed as the “Sealer of Weights and Measures” for the entire County, thus protecting the general public. Local jurisdictions are responsible for state regulatory standards, Ohio weights and measures law and enforcement. The auditor must test and inspect all commercial weighing and measuring devices once a year. Auditors typically hire inspectors.
Weaver said the gas tax stickers must be placed on the gas pumps by September of this year. They do not need to be used if the tax information is displayed in another way, such as a video screen, receipts or prominently displayed at the gas station.
The auditor explained that the stickers are required by last year’s state transportation budget, which raised the state tax on gasoline by 10.5 cents per gallon, from 28 cents to 38.5 cents a gallon, beginning July 1, 2019. The diesel fuel tax increased by 19 cents to 47 cents per gallon. State lawmakers required them as a transparency measure in their decision to increase the state gas tax.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) was supposed to produce the stickers by October 2019, 90 days after the law took effect. The department, however, missed the deadline.
“Since the signing of the budget, there has been an ongoing, diligent process to ensure the fuel tax stickers are ready for placement on the pumps in the time designated,” said ODA Communications Director Shelby Croft. “This process included negotiations to purchase the stickers in the most cost-efficient manner and ensure the language and information both meets the requirements as prescribed by law and can be easily understood by the average consumer.”
In January, the ag department ordered 55,000 of the stickers at 13 cents each. The stickers were created and paid for by ODA.
The department sent the stickers by overnight mail Friday.
Weaver said the stickers will be updated with any future changes to the gas tax.
Proceeds from the fuel tax are used to maintain and upgrade Ohio’s roads and bridges.
For additional information please contact the Union County Auditor at (937) 645-3003, or unionwm@co.union.oh.us.