Traffic fees show condition of state and local government interaction

South Carolina lawmakers were looking for ways to balance the budget last year when they decided to let those who violate the state's traffic laws pay for law enforcement.

They added a $25 fee to traffic tickets. The money from the fee is supposed to be used to fund law enforcement agencies and prosecutors.

It isn't working well. The State newspaper reports that the fees are bringing in less than half of the $25 million they were expected to gather this year.

Some municipal courts haven't forwarded the state any money from the fees. Some counties have sent payment from only a single fee.

There are other reasons for the lower than expected revenue. State budget cuts have resulted in fewer police officers writing traffic tickets.

But the problem illustrates the lack of communication between the state and its local subdivisions.

Too often, state lawmakers will write and pass laws without taking into account the impact the laws will have on cities and counties.

In this case, the law was passed in June, and the fee went into effect in July. Little was done to help cities and counties change their processes to collect the fee and transfer the revenue to the state.

The state might also have had better luck if it had given local governments a significant share of the revenue. Cash-strapped cities and counties have their own budget problems without focusing on raising more money for the state.

Now the General Assembly is considering financial penalties for counties that haven't sent in enough money from the fees.

The answer is not punishment but assistance, cooperation and communication.

State lawmakers need to consider the impact of legislation on local officials and bodies. They need to consider the needs of local governments and respond.

Cities and counties are not merely cash cows for the state. They are local governments that provide services to the lawmakers' constituents. Punishing the local governments means punishing their own citizens.

Lawmakers should recognize that a large part of the reason they didn't get as much money as they wanted from fees is that they don't have the relationship they need with local governments. Their response should be to improve that relationship.

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