Sac Council Stalls 'Crash Tax' In 5-4 Vote

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- The controversial plan to recover emergency costs by billing out-of-town drivers for car accidents was blocked Tuesday after a city official made a surprising reversal.

The Sacramento City Council voted 5-4 to refuse to hire a vendor to send out insurance bills after Councilmember Jay Schenirer changed his stance on the "crash tax."

Schenirer admitted to the council he made a mistake when he supported the measure in January.

The growing statewide backlash against cities with similar measures has been building, and neighboring counties have threatened to retaliate with targeted fees against Sacramento residents.

State lawmakers have even proposed an outright ban on crash taxes.

Roseville unanimously repealed their version of the plan last month after records showed it brought in far less money than expected.