Right now, if you rent a car in Allegheny County for $25 a day, you will spend an additional 17 percent for taxes and fees, according to representatives of the rental car industry.

If the county adds $2 a day in taxes to help fund public transit, you would be paying 25 percent in taxes on the rental car.

While restaurant owners have vociferously opposed a 10 percent drink tax being contemplated by the county, rental car companies have to date been less outspoken in their opposition to a new tax on car rentals.

But last night, at a meeting of Allegheny County Council's Committee on Budget and Finance, Dan Friedman and Thomas M. Farmer, both from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, ran through the numbers for council members.

In addition to the standard 7 percent sales tax, Mr. Farmer said, there is already a $2 a day tax for the Public Transportation Assistance Fund and a 2 percent Pennsylvania passenger rental vehicle tax.

If the new fee to fund public transit is adopted in full -- it can be up to $2 a day -- someone renting a car on a weekend special of $13 a day would pay an additional $4 just to fund public transit, he said.

He also said 66 percent of rentals in Allegheny County are to Allegheny County residents, many needing cars for trips or to replace cars that are in for repairs.

"We oppose taxing an already overtaxed industry," Mr. Farmer said.

County Council has scheduled a public hearing on the car rental and drink taxes for 5 p.m. Oct. 2.

Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Bill Robinson, D-Hill District, said council members will be able to question presenters at that hearing.

Council President Rich Fitzgerald, D-Squirrel Hill, asked the Enterprise representatives whether, at budget time when council has to cut $30 million, car rental companies would want to close roads and parks or enact a tax.

It is likely that a two-thirds majority of council will be needed to enact the new taxes.

Council next week is scheduled to vote on a measure proposed by Jan Rea, R-McCandless, that would require a two-thirds vote of council to approve tax increases. By yesterday, 14 of the 15 members had signed on as sponsors, with only John P. DeFazio, D-Shaler, holding out.

The budget committee last night approved sending the measure to the full council.