ALBANY — The next state license plate will feature Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan's skyline and New York's motto, "Excelsior."

The state Department of Motor Vehicles announced the winning choice of online voters a few hours after state Republican Party leader Nick Langworthy hand delivered a records request to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office for information about the vote, which concluded on Monday.

The new plates will start being distributed in April, 10 years after the state began issuing the controversial gold and blue design.

The competition to select the design was announced last month by Cuomo, who folded into the announcement a new policy requiring plates that are 10-years old to be replaced when New Yorkers renew their vehicle registration.

The mandatory replacement plan drew immediate and consistent bipartisan criticism from state lawmakers, who advanced various plans to circumvent the the policy.

Even the competition to select the new design generated controversy, including an Internet conspiracy theory - that failed to pan out - that the process was rigged to ensure the design featuring the new Mario M. Cuomo bridge would be chosen.

Republican state lawmakers also introduced their own parody plate designs, including one from Sen. Jim Tedisco, of Glenville, that shows a hand taking money out of a pocket.

The winning design received nearly half of the 325,000 votes cast, according to the state DMV. The bridge design finished tied for last, with about 10 percent of the vote.

"The design overwhelmingly selected by New Yorkers showcases some of our most iconic symbols and truly represents what the Empire State is all about—our diversity, our unparalleled architecture and natural beauty, and our unyielding commitment to freedom and justice for all," said DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder.

Langworthy acknowledged that his inquiry into the vote was "lighthearted," but maintained there are serious concerns about the cost of the new replacement policy. New plates cost $25 and it's another $20 to retain your number, with both fees capped by state law and set by the Cuomo administration.

In response to the public relations gambit, Cuomo senior adviser Richard Azzopardi said the state Republicans were being led by a "two-bit conspiracy theorist."

"No amount of grandstanding , hypocrisy and cheap press hits can hide the facts, which are the cost of a replacement license plate was changed from $15 to $25 by a vote of the legislature in 2009– before this governor took office-- remained the same for the last 10 years and that Langworthy's fellow Republicans did nothing to change it when they held the Senate," Azzopardi said.

The governor maintains that many older plates are difficult or impossible to read as the result of damage, oxidation and peeling. Clearly legible plates will be increasingly important as license plate readers become more heavily used for red-light cameras and cashless tolling systems.

Azzopardi and Schroeder also reiterated the administration's willingness to find other solutions to ensuring New Yorkers have legible license plates.

State policy allows peeling plates to be replaced for free, regardless of age.

David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87

