Will the wheel tax disappear?

By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com

At-large Commissioner Larsen Jay’s proposal to lower the Knox County Wheel Tax is the last item on the Knox County Commission’s tentative agenda. The commissioners meet today to set the agenda and next Monday in regular session.
Jay’s suggestion, which would eliminate the $36 tax on all license tax renewals over three years, is on a “first reading” and will require a 2/3 vote by the commission to pass. This proposal notes that until 2004, the county’s portion of tag renewal was only $6 per vehicle.

The wheel tax would disappear in steps, with the 2026 cost dropping to $32. The fee would drop to $16 the following year and disappear in 2028.

Jay said the wheel tax is “regressive and impacts low-income people disproportionally.”