Ellsworth County Appraiser Carl Miller gave a brief update to the Ellsworth County Commissioners Monday on his Feb. 8 testimony before state lawmakers in Topeka on House Resolution 5022, which deals with the 30 percent classification on all-terrain vehicles.

“I think it went well,” Miller said. “I feel positive, but I was told to remember two things — they may procrastinate this and it was new to them and there was a lot of information.”

Miller said the current classification is a 30 percent tax. He said this unfair and inequitable tax on ATVs is one reason why many people do not register their golf carts.

Miller said he would like to see that tax lowered to 20 percent by 2025 and then down to 11.5 percent. He would also like to replace the ATV verbiage in the resolution with the specific words Class 2, sub class 06.

Miller said there is already a controversy regarding what an allterrain vehicle is.

“So that kind of opened the door for me to go the route I wanted to go and not take them (ATVs) out of the class, but change the entire class,” he said.

Miller said he doesn’t agree with those who think it would be best to just exempt ATVs.

“A lot of these vehicles are being driven on our streets,” he said. “and if you exempt the all-terrain vehicles, you still have the golf cart issue and then you still have the moped issue.”

Miller tried to explain to the lawmakers that this isn’t a big dollar amount to the counties with respect to the percentage of revenue it brings in to county coffers annually because recreational vehicles and watercraft have already been taken out. However, he added that lawmakers probably know someone personally which this unfair tax effects since it is so wide in its scope.

“I hope this (the tax) can get changed, I really do,” Miller said.

Lawmakers told Miller they would like to get the issue on the November general election ballot. In other business:

• Abatements 2023-72 and 2023-73 in the total amount of $77.20 were approved.

Due to the President’s Day holiday, the next meeting of the Ellsworth County Commission will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, at the county courthouse.