Rep. Dave Vella fights to reduce Illinois trailer fees from $118 down to $36

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - The fee to register your trailer in Illinois has been reduced from $118 down to $36 making it more affordable for residents.

Lawmakers worked to pass a bill that would bring the trailer fee down after it was mistakenly raised in last years budget. Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford) said this was one of the main concerns residents in his district had. He explained people would call his office or send an email asking the state to do something about the increase so that it was more affordable.

“Somebody who is working class will have a motorcycle and want to take that on a trip, and it’s a lot of money,” Vella said. “One hundred and eighteen dollars is a lot of money to somebody like that. As opposed to somebody who makes $500,000 a year that’s not a lot of money to them.”

Vella said some middle class families weren’t able to afford the pricy fee. Some families even stopped using their trailer all together.

“If you’re from certain parts of Chicago or the suburbs, you have a lot of money and you don’t have to worry about money,” Vella said. “Well, my people care about money and care about where their money goes and I think if they know somebody else cares about them, I think it makes them trust, hopefully, knock on wood, trust government more and we can start moving the chain down the field.”

Vella explained not only was this important to trailer owners in the area but it was also significant to him and something that he worked hard to make right.

“If people appreciate that their government cares about them, they will be more likely to chip into the government,” Vella said. “I believe and I think that’s what’s going to happen.”

Illinois trailer owners can expect to begin paying the reduced $36 trailer fee starting in January of 2022.

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