Rep. Folwell receives NCACC President's Award

Rep. Dale Folwell of Forsyth County was presented with the first NCACC President’s Award on Wednesday by Buncombe County Commissioner David Young, who is the president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

Rep. Dale Folwell (Forsyth County) accepts the inaugural President’s Award from NCACC President and Buncombe County Commissioner David Young during the Dec. 5 NCACC Board of Directors meeting. (Photos by Jason King)

Folwell was presented the award for his efforts to enable county governments to more effectively collect motor vehicle property taxes. In 2005, Rep. Folwell sponsored House Bill 1779 (Property Tax Paid with Vehicle Registration - Session Law 2005-294), which will eventually result in the collection of approximately $80 million annually in unpaid motor vehicle property taxes by requiring property taxes to be paid before a motor vehicle may be registered.

Despite forceful opposition to the proposed changes, Rep. Folwell successfully steered the legislation to passage by working collaboratively with fellow legislators, interest groups and state agency officials to create a more equitable motor vehicle property tax system. His bill overwhelmingly passed both the Senate and the House.

“Rep. Folwell’s tireless efforts will benefit all county governments by requiring citizens to pay their property taxes on motor vehicles at the time of purchase,” said Young. “This is a significant bill that will pay dividends for counties well into the future.”

Forsyth County Commissioner Bill Whiteheart (left) and NCACC Senior Associate General Counsel Paul Meyer (right) congratulate Rep. Folwell on the award.

In order to strengthen and clarify the new tax collection process, Folwell also spearheaded House Bill 1688 – Amend Combined Motor Vehicle Registration and Property Tax System (Session Law 2007-471) during the 2007 session. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles has initiated the update of their computer system to accommodate the collection of property taxes.

Beyond motor vehicle taxation, Rep. Folwell has promoted efficiency efforts within state government that invariably will benefit counties. His tireless efforts and impeccable ethical standards led to his appointment as the House Republican Joint Caucus Leader in just his second term in the North Carolina General Assembly.

Rep. Folwell thanked the Association “for helping create a system that results in lowering the cost of living in North Carolina and cuts down on a citizen’s interaction with government.”