HERMANN — Gasconade County administrators continue to be perplexed as to how to account for — and assess for personal property tax — the growing number of ATVs, UTVs and other off-road vehicles that are being seen more and more on county roads.

County residents are beginning to make their voices heard about the unlicensed and untitled vehicles, which can’t operate on state highways. But they can legally operate on county roads, and that, county officials say, is prompting concern on two fronts.

“We’re concerned about their safety, speed and tearing the hell out of our roads,” said Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, at last Thursday’s County Commission session.

The other concern, voiced regularly by County Assessor Paul Schulte, is that the vehicles aren’t being declared by the owners as personal property, which means they aren’t being taxed, as are cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles and other personal property items. The assessor, who was in attendance at the Commission session, said his office is receiving calls from residents asking about the vehicles, if they’re on the books and who the owners might be. Paul Schulte said his office can’t answer questions about the owners because the vehicles aren’t on the tax rolls.

“Our office gets calls,” the assessor said. “It’s good to take notice because they’re seeing more and more of these on the road.”

The increase in the use of the vehicles is being noticed elsewhere, the assessor said. However, there has been no major effort — to this point, at least — to build support for legislation in Jefferson City aimed at getting the vehicles onto the local property tax rolls.

Sheriff Scott Eiler suggested the state’s County Assessors Association work to craft a state law requiring these vehicles to be titled, which would create a paper trail that could be used to ensure they are placed on the personal property tax roll.

“You need to get together, go to the Capitol and fix it,” he said.

As for damage being done to county highways, the sheriff said residents witnessing bad behavior by the drivers should contact his office.

“If they don’t call us, we don’t know about it,” Eiler said.

“He’s right,” added Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, R-Owensville. “If he’s not aware of it there’s nothing he can do about it.”

Still, Lairmore said, damage to county roads is a big concern.

“We have one on our road. They do donuts and when you hit (the ruts) — Bam! Bam! — you feel it,” he said.

There is another aspect of the Sheriff’s Department’s involvement regarding these vehicles — the issuance of stickers as a way to track them and get them added to the tax rolls. The program was started several years ago by then-Sheriff John Romanus. But through a succession of sheriff’s after Romanus resigned his position, the issuance of stickers was placed on the back burner. Eiler has been reluctant to make the sticker program a priority, mostly because of the cost involved and the lack of revenue it generates.

“It’s more of a hassle” for his department, Eiler said, noting that it likely would not bring in more than $700 a year. And, he said, there’s no enforcement available to his agency if a vehicle does not have a sticker.

But, the assessor argues, more important than any revenue being generated by the issuance of stickers is the information attached to a sticker — the name of the owner and an address, which would allow that vehicle to be added to the personal property tax roll.

“We need that information,” the assessor told the sheriff.

Eiler said his department has that information for the permits issued in 2022 and that he would make the information available to the Assessor’s Office.