Cities, towns unable to charge higher DMV registration fees

Foster's reporter Robert Cook finds that the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles wasn't ready for the fee increases imposed on drivers in the New Hampshire budget:

Dover Deputy City Clerk Susan Mistretta said she could not charge anyone the additional fees that went into effect on Wednesday because the state agency's computer system had not been updated to reflect the changes approved by state lawmakers.

She said she asked the state agency on Tuesday what the city should do and no one at the state agency could tell her.

Mistretta said the city can only charge a resident the current motor vehicle registration fee until DMV officials are able to resolve the situation on their end. So instead of paying the newly enacted $73.20 for a vehicle weighing 3,000 to 5,000 pounds, Mistretta said city residents will be charged the former fee of $43.20.

Dover was only one of several Seacoast municipalities in that situation Wednesday.

It's almost as if lawmakers rushed a budget into law without proper deliberation. Maybe they should have slowed down and done it right.

If you're keeping track at home. Two Superior Court judges have issued injunctions against the state to prevent it from spending a total of $119 million in disputed funds belonging to hospitals and nursing homes, the state's tracks don't have the authority to collect the new tax on gamgling winnings, and now the DMV didn't update its computers to allow towns to collect higher registratin fees. This budget is falling apart faster than the third Matrix movie.