2024 Boat Reg

thinkxingu · 10-22-2023, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Registering in a town adds a $5 fee which goes to the town. If you feel guilty for not having already paid enough to the town, then by all means register there.

Not being burdened by such guilt, I register at Marine Patrol which does not add a fee.

Alan

So registering at Marine Patrol is essentially the same as going through the state (mailing it in)?

Also, what happens if registering at a marina?

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tis · 10-22-2023, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

So registering at Marine Patrol is essentially the same as going through the state (mailing it in)?

Also, what happens if registering at a marina?

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

We register ours at Melvin Village Marina. They are so helpful and make it easy. Most of the time I don't get all my registrations in the mail but with MVM I don't have to worry about it. So paying the 5 for each boat is worth it to me.

Descant · 10-22-2023, 12:56 PM

There are some complications, mostly constitutional. An amendment to our state constitution, Part I, Article 28-a, says that the state cannot require political subdivisions (towns) to perform duties unless they are compensated ("Unfunded Mandates'). Passed in 1984:"The state shall not mandate or assign any new, expanded or modified programs or responsibilities to any political subdivision in such a way as to necessitate additional local expenditures by the political subdivision unless such programs or responsibilities are fully funded by the state ..." This says to me that the town can't waive the fee because the state is required to provide funding. What about...XYZ? If XYZ was in place before 1984, , 28-a may not apply. One way around this is to make bills "enabling legislation" so your town is allowed, but not required to...If you register at a marina, they get the $5 and the tax goes to the town. The registration fee goes to the state and is split up to Navigation Safety fund, F & G etc per the biennial budget. Towns around the lake get considerable funds which mostly they put back into public docks and other waterfront amenities.

John Mercier · 10-22-2023, 02:01 PM

28-a is regularly ignored by the Legislature... both parties.
That is why the school systems spend so much time on lawsuits against the State.

But it would not be a ''mandate'' in that the town/city would need to choose that direction. A mandate is a must, not a choice. I believe that the local municipality can forgo any fees that it chooses to.

But would $5 be enough of an incentive over the ease of mail. Some have stated yes, but that is because the option of the marina means a type of one-stop shopping. Until the modern advent of on-line payment, town hall hours were an inconvenience.

10-22-2023, 12:56 PM	#3
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,366 Thanks: 1,352 Thanked 1,624 Times in 1,056 Posts	Complicated? There are some complications, mostly constitutional. An amendment to our state constitution, Part I, Article 28-a, says that the state cannot require political subdivisions (towns) to perform duties unless they are compensated ("Unfunded Mandates'). Passed in 1984:"The state shall not mandate or assign any new, expanded or modified programs or responsibilities to any political subdivision in such a way as to necessitate additional local expenditures by the political subdivision unless such programs or responsibilities are fully funded by the state ..." This says to me that the town can't waive the fee because the state is required to provide funding. What about...XYZ? If XYZ was in place before 1984, , 28-a may not apply. One way around this is to make bills "enabling legislation" so your town is allowed, but not required to...If you register at a marina, they get the $5 and the tax goes to the town. The registration fee goes to the state and is split up to Navigation Safety fund, F & G etc per the biennial budget. Towns around the lake get considerable funds which mostly they put back into public docks and other waterfront amenities.

10-22-2023, 02:01 PM	#4
John Mercier Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2021 Posts: 3,394 Thanks: 3 Thanked 598 Times in 494 Posts	28-a is regularly ignored by the Legislature... both parties. That is why the school systems spend so much time on lawsuits against the State. But it would not be a ''mandate'' in that the town/city would need to choose that direction. A mandate is a must, not a choice. I believe that the local municipality can forgo any fees that it chooses to. But would $5 be enough of an incentive over the ease of mail. Some have stated yes, but that is because the option of the marina means a type of one-stop shopping. Until the modern advent of on-line payment, town hall hours were an inconvenience.