Board votes to exempt veterans from license fees

Published 11:39 am Thursday, April 15, 2021

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The Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to exempt vehicle license fees for any permanent and total disability veteran.

During the board’s Thursday, April 8, the vote came following the Commissioner of the Revenue Liz Hamlett’s address.

Elizabeth Y. “Liz” Hamlett

“I am pleased to inform you that the General Assembly has amended the Constitution of Virginia and Title 58.1 of the Virginia Code to allow for exemption of one motor vehicle for disabled veterans, but that does not exempt the vehicle license fee for them,” Hamlett said.

Hamlett told the board that currently, the county has 49 qualifying veterans, and 28 of those would be subject to the exemption.

Hamlett said the exemption of those veterans’ license fees would be a $700 loss of revenue for the county.

The exemption of taxes on one motor vehicle per veteran would be around a $40,000 in revenue loss to the county.

“I wanted to ask if you want to exempt the license fee,” Hamlett said, “I’ve talked to the two town managers and they have it on their agenda to address the town councils as well, but I wanted to present it to you and let you know where we stand right now.”

Before the vote, Supervisors Wayne Hoover spoke up to say, “I think this is a no-brainer here.”

In order for a veteran to be exempt from personal property tax on one motor vehicle, the veteran must be 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disabled.