Discuss, consider and take appropriate action on authorization and execution of an Interlocal Agreement Between Williamson County, Texas and Travis County, Texas to Coordinate and Execute Law Enforcement Operations Targeting Fraudulent or Improper Motor Vehicle Inspections, pertaining to the County's Local Initiative Program.

This action falls under the uses of funds for the Local Initiative Project (LIP) initiative of the Low Income Repair, Rehabilitation and Replacement Program (LIRAP - aka DriveACleanMachine).

This is to cover LIP funds which comprise the last of the funds under the LIRAP initiative. In 2017 Williamson County (as well as Travis County and all the counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area under NCTCOG and the Houston-Galveston area under H-GAG) ceased collecting funds under LIRAP. The remainder funds - specifically in reference to LIP - are to expire August 31, 2018 and August 31, 2019.

 

Williamson County had earlier, through the Sheriff's Office, submitted an application for using Williamson County LIP funds to target fraudulent motor vehicle tags. This is an enforcement problem that has arisen following the State of Texas moving to a one sticker program for inspections and registration. A registration fraud program developed whereby illegal market scheme(s) for false dealer and temporary license tags were sold to avoid inspection and registration fees. After approval by TCEQ but prior to Williamson County implementation the application/project for use of the LIP funds was withdrawn. Inn February 2018 the funds were returned to TCEQ.

David Serrins, who oversees the LIRAP program for TCEQ, recommended an interlocal between the two counties. Similar actions have been taken in the North Central Texas Council of Governments between counties to keep the LIP funds in the general area rather than having them redistributed by TCEQ to the other areas in the state. My TC counterpart, Adele Noel, and I discussed this and since TC is already doing the enforcement actions, it makes sense to keep the funds in the area by entering this interlocal agreement.

Tarrant County has used the following information to justify the program in that area:

--One out of every 6 vehicles are on the road with questionable temporary tags in a recent survey by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department in Southeast Tarrant County

--25 million dollars in  Potential loss of registration funding in 2016 in Dallas, Tarrant, Harris, and Travis Counties