VESTAL, NY (WSKG) - Broome County Clerk Joe Mihalko is pushing back against a proposed fee on new New York State license plates announced this month by Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration.
Beginning next April, residents with the older blue and white plates will have to turn them in and pay a $25 or $45 fee to have them replaced.Once the new plates are introduced, the current gold and blue plates will also be phased out.
“Instead of trying to find new ways to pick our pockets, the folks in Albany should find more productive ways of spending their time," Mihalko said. "They need to ensure that all license plates are manufactured correctly and won’t peel, and fix the NYS DMV computer system so that it is reliable and doesn’t crash on a regular basis."
Residents have a chance to vote on what the new plates will look like. Cuomo said the new plates are necessary to expand New York's EZ Pass highway system.