It’s a No-Go in Martin Co. to Make ATV’s Street Legal

By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor

The Martin County Fiscal decided not to follow suit with surrounding counties and unanimously voted against an ordinance allowing residents to make ATV/UTV’s street legal.

Before voting, Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty allowed citizens to speak.

Residents Rudy Hammond and John Roy Kirk spoke against it citing it was just another tax.

“We’re just a small county, a rural area, just about a retirement county if you look around you,” Kirk said. “More taxes, more insurance being put on us is making so people can’t get out and do anything. The town up here looks nice, but the people won’t even have money to buy gas to come to town if we don’t get some help with this stuff.”

Lara Mitchel Pack, secretary of First Frontier Appalachian Trails attended the fiscal court meeting and explained this is not a mandatory thing for all citizens, only those who want to operate their all-terrain vehicles on the roadway.

“Nobody is forcing you all to register your vehicle,” she said. “That’s an option. You don’t have to register them. When the state voted statewide to allow people the option, they did it so that local governments, little tiny towns, could have something to bank on to grow their economies and stabilize their economies.” Pack said the measure would ensure safety and boost tourism.

“Every county around here has voted to do it because their sheriff department gets a little bit for the inspection, their clerk’s office gets a little bit, and they get the opportunity to grow the tourism business,” she said. “It’s not going to hurt anybody; they run the roads anyway. By passing it, you ensure that the people who come here will put insurance on them.”

Eric Mills of Inez argued that much of the argument overlooked state law.

“Sheriff, I’ll think you’ll verify it’s illegal to drive a side-by-side on the highway right now. Is that true?” Mills asked.

Sheriff John Kirk agreed it is illegal to travel more than two-tenths of a mile.

“Your state legislature has already made it illegal to drive more than two-tenths of a mile on a road, and the police can pull you over and give you a ticket,” said Mills. “Your option today is to not drive over two-tenths of a mile to avoid a ticket.”

After all comments were heard, one magistrate spoke up abruptly.

“Judge, I vote no,” Magistrate Junior Hunt said before a motion was on the table.

The unanimous vote against the ordinance came soon after.

The Ordinance came from Senate Bill 63, and took effect June 27, allowing counties the option to let residents register off-road vehicles as street legal special purpose vehicles (SLSPVs).

Martin County is the only county in the region not to adopt an ordinance.