New stickers to be affixed to county gas pumps
A new sticker will soon be affixed to most gas pumps in the county because of a new state requirement. These stickers itemize the taxes included in the price of a gallon of fuel in order to inform the consumer. Per the new law, the stickers were created and paid for by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA). Coshocton County Auditor Chris Sycks announced that her office has now received the stickers from ODA and they have been approved for application, just in time for the upcoming National Weights and Measures Week.
In less than a week, we will mark the 221st anniversary of the nation’s first weights and measures law during National Weights and Measures Week. The goal of Weights and Measures Week is to build awareness among consumers and businesses of the impact to commerce and to recognize the important community service performed by the Coshocton County Auditor’s Office. National Weights and Measures Week begins on Sunday, March 1 and runs through Saturday, March 7, and commemorates President John Adams signing the first weights and measures law into effect on March 2, 1799.
National Weights and Measures Week also is an opportunity to educate consumers, businesses and lawmakers about the effort of the weights and measures officials who have instilled trust in our marketplace. Americans seldom question the quantity statement on a package, the scale at a check stand, or the gallons they put into their cars and even fewer would know who is responsible for instilling that confidence. Auditor Sycks said, “In the spirit of Weights and Measures Week, these stickers are another informational tool available to consumers and yet another service offered by county inspectors and sealers across the state.”
The stickers are required by the last year’s state transportation budget, which also raised the state tax on gasoline by 10.5 cents per gallon on July 1, 2019. The diesel fuel tax increased by 19 cents per gallon. Proceeds from the fuel tax are used to maintain and upgrade Ohio’s roads and bridges. The approximately four-inch by four-inch red stickers will show a breakdown of state, local and federal taxes that are being levied on gasoline and diesel fuels, along with the total tax amount.
The stickers will not be affixed to all the pumps all at once. However, as the County Auditor’s Weights and Measures Inspector/Sealer, Dustin Gregory, performs his routine inspections throughout the year, they will be applied. Gas tax stickers must be placed on the gas pumps in each county and city jurisdiction by September 2020. They do not need to be used if the tax information is displayed in another way, such as on a video screen or in a prominent place at the gas station. Stickers will be updated by ODA with any future changes to the gas tax.
Watch the Auditor’s Facebook page for educational posts during the March 1-7 Weights and Measures Week. For additional information please contact the County Auditor’s Office at 740-622-1243.
Category: Government
