CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — An amendment that could have eliminated West Virginia’s car tax was defeated, but the general idea is not dead.

Governor Jim Justice has promised to get a bill introduced in the legislature in January that will lead to all vehicle owners getting a tax rebate for the taxes they paid this year. And going forward, that rebate would come every year. The state chamber of commerce says that, on average, the annual car tax is $220 per vehicle. Drivers registering their cars at the DMV say they would welcome the rebates.

“That would be great. I have three vehicles that I have to pay taxes on. So to get that money back it would help to pay towards paying my house off, possibly getting another vehicle for work,” said Adrener Lawton, a West Virginia car owner.

“I’m not in favor of taxes much at all. So, I’d love to have tax money back,” said Will Haverty, a West Virginia car owner.

Many already have an idea where they would spend the returned tax payments.

“I would use it just to help pay bills and fix my house and do stuff that i could use it for better. I think they should get rid of it,” said Andrew Harper, who paid the car tax on his vehicle.

“Like everyone else – toward bills or groceries or expenses,” said Sherry Cabell, another West Virginia car taxpayer.

On Election Day, Amendment 2, which could have allowed to legislature to repeal the car tax for good, failed to get enough votes at the polls. The car tax rebate was the governor’s alternative plan and would be paid for from the state $1.3 billion budget surplus.