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HAMPTON ROADS - News t~age z oI .~ <br /> <br />method of collecting the personal <br />property tax," Kellam said after <br />Tuesday's vote. <br /> <br />"1 think citizens in other localities will <br />ask their elected officials why this same <br />program won't work there," he said. <br /> <br />Some elected leaders in other cities in <br />South Hampton Roads say they'll <br />consider following Virginia Beach's lead. <br /> <br />Suffolk City Council member E. Dana <br />Dickens III said he isn't ready to commit <br />to abolishing the city stickers, but he <br />likes the idea. <br /> <br /> c Yes <br /> c No <br /> c Undecided <br /> Vote! j <br /> ~_e~ .w_r_e_s u It s <br /> <br />TalkNet: A~ J;Ip_o~l_ _p_r _b a_d <br />Background Coverage: <br /> <br />with cit~_s~ck_e_m <br /> v E__rop_iLthts Pag~ <br /> ~ .Get_e_m#J n _~ ~/~t~ <br /> <br /> ~; .2:./ P_l[ot.~UL)~c__rlptLq.~ <br /> <br />"Any opportunity to make it easier for the citizens to do business is worth <br />looking at," Dickens said. <br /> <br />Chesapeake Vice Mayor John M. de Triquet said he's willing to consider <br />abolishing city decals. <br /> <br />"Clearly any administrative change that is revenue-neutral can be put on <br />the table for consideration," de Tdquet said. <br /> <br />Portsmouth Councilman Cameron C. Pitts said the city should see how <br />the program works in Virginia Beach and consider the idea. It could save <br />administrative costs and cut back on police patrol time spent writing <br />tickets for expired tags, he said. <br /> <br />"It would be one stop they wouldn't have to make," he said. <br /> <br />Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim said that if abolishing city stickers doesn't <br />cost any money, the council will probably consider it. <br /> <br />Not only would that do away with long lines and the cost of issuing <br />decals, Fraim said, it would end the problem of cars being vandalized by <br />decal thieves. <br /> <br />Eadier this month, Norfolk City Council member Daun S. Hester asked <br />the city manager to investigate ways to curb sticker thefts from cars at <br />the Norfolk Industrial Park. <br /> <br />Dudng his campaign in the Beach, Kellam argued that the sticker was <br />old-fashioned and said the state's vehicle registration system can identify <br />owners who need to pay personal property tax. <br /> <br />But Kellam's idea drew strong opposition from City Treasurer John T. <br />Atkinson, whose office issues the stickers and collects the tax. <br /> <br />Atkinson said the sticker system is still effective and eliminating the <br />program could make it harder to capture delinquent personal property <br />taxes. <br /> <br />City finance officials disagreed with Atkinson. <br /> <br />http://www.pilotonline.com/news/nw0612sti.html 7/17/2002 <br /> <br /> <br />