Chautauqua County has found a loophole that will allow it to retain registration fees from snowmobilers.
Recently, the state DMV visited local offices and ordered that snowmobile club promotional material be removed.
The promotional material had previously been available at local DMV?offices. A decrease in snowmobile registrations locally could have decreased the amount of money for local snowmobile clubs.
"It is my understanding that with a current, valid NYS Snowmobile Association voucher, the fee for snowmobile registration is $45. Without a NYSSA voucher, the fee is $100," said Legislature Minority Leader Lori Cornell, D-Jamestown. "When a snowmobile is registered in New York state, $10 of the fee is distributed to the state’s general fund and the remainder is used for trail enhancement. If the snowmobilers first join a local club, they save on their registration and the local club earns the immediate use of its membership fee."
In a news release, Cornell vowed to contact Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state DMV Commissioner Barbara Fialia to request that the materials be returned to local DMV locations.
According to Sandy Sopak, Chautauqua County clerk, the county has found a way to still provide information to those wishing to register their snowmobiles.
"The state is not allowing our DMV staff to handle snowmobile association information or applications. We have found a way, however, to still accommodate our snowmobilers who would like to register their snowmobiles and become a member of one of the clubs so they can still get their discounted registration rate," said Sopak. "By having a member of the snowmobile clubs on site every Saturday to accept the applications and provide the vouchers, snowmobilers can handle all their registration needs in one stop."
Sopak was able to obtain permission from the state to allow representatives from the snowmobile associations to provide the service in the office.
Saturday hours at the Mayville DMV office will begin when the snowmobile trails open. Updates and Saturday hours, which will be dependent on snowfall, will be listed on the County Clerk’s website weekly at www.co.chautauqua.ny.us/departments/clerk.
