Car registration rules give owners a choice

Don’t want to wait? Live closer to another courthouse? It won’t matter as Iowa law now allows a resident to register a car for the first time in any Iowa county.

Union County Treasurer Kelly Busch explained that Monday to Union County Board of Supervisors during a review of her proposed fiscal year 2026 budget.

Busch said the option is more for convenience. She said, for example, a person living in Polk City, north of Des Moines in Polk County, may not have the time and patience to go to downtown Des Moines and probably wait in a line. Busch said the person could go to neighboring Nevada in Story County or Boone in Boone County for the registration and have a faster transaction.

She continued, the Polk City person will receive Boone County plates if they went to Boone. The registration will include the resident’s Polk City home address. She said a Montgomery County resident registered a vehicle in Union County just because the owner works in Union County.

“But after the initial registration, the person must go to the county where they live for renewals,” she said. During renewals, Busch said the Polk City person could then pay $5 to receive Polk County plates.

She said the resident’s county receives most of the revenue off of renewals, not during initial registration. Busch said law enforcement will know the Polk City person lives in Polk City, not Boone County, during any review of registration records.

“It’s minimal,” she said about how much revenue stays within the county during the initial registration.

Busch said the optional county strategy is only for traditional vehicles. Trailers, like ones intended to transport riding lawn mowers, must be registered in the same county where the owner lives.

She said her department has received interest off investments in recent years that have far exceeded budgeted amounts. No formal action was taken.

In other county news...

Supervisor Rick Friday said he has received comments from people concerned about the recent consolidation and relocation of the county’s recycling bins to Prairie Sold Waste last month. The comments have been mainly about the inconvenience and availability to the bins. The bins are only accessible during the landfill’s hours of operation. Bins had been located in Creston and Afton and available around the clock.

“People still don’t quite understand,” Friday said, as the change was a cost-saving move for the county which pays Waste Management for the bins and unloading. Costs were expected to be more than $30,000 a year with annual increases. The shift could cut that in half.

Supervisor Dennis Brown, who has assisted with landfill operations, said the bins are being used.

Friday included how Madison County is charging its residents for recycling based on volume, like a typical trash bag.

Kelly Butts-Elston, representing Connections Area on Agency, said Creston’s new restaurant 1776 is being included in the cafe program. Licensed food service establishments like restaurants, food trucks, cafés, convenience stores, and grocery stores with hot and cold food items can be used by those 60 years and older as part of the traditional senior meals program. The Dugout in Orient is one of the more popular destinations in the area for participants.

There is a limit of 10 meals per month as participants are encouraged to leave a donation for each meal. Connections and participating restaurants reach agreements on certain meals and pricing.

The Program’s primary goal is to encourage socialization among older Iowans by offering food options in local restaurants. She said it is common for multiple participants to carpool to those places.

Union County Veterans Affairs Director Gary Gelhaye said he has had a steady flow of veterans looking for assistance since he started the position last April. As World War II and Korean War-era veterans are becoming even fewer, Gelhaye is working more with Vietnam War-era veterans. A year ago, all Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Global War on Terror or any other combat zone after 9/11 became eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits. Veterans who never deployed but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty in the United States will also be eligible to enroll.

He also has been completing continuing education courses. He did include an 8% pay increase in his budget. No action was taken.