After the south Salina branch closed, there were long lines in front of the Saline County Department of Motor Vehicles office at the main branch.
Many people are wondering why the South Office was closed, especially given the long queues around the end of the month.
According to Saline County Treasurer Jim Dubois, there were several reasons for the office’s closure, many of which have to do with funding for motor vehicle registration offices across the state and operating costs.
“The toll booths are special. We get $5 per extension,” Dubois said. “To offset some of the costs, the state of Kansas, by law, allows us to go anywhere where we have to pay a $1 to $5 facility fee.”
Dubois said this flow of money is making it increasingly difficult for gas stations to operate, especially given the current economic situation.
“We have to pay our employees’ salaries. We have to pay for the equipment we use. We have to pay for everything,” Dubois said. “After a while, we just don’t have the money (for it).”
He said that as the prices of materials, equipment, rent, etc. increase, so does the burden.
This was the main reason why Dubois decided to close the branch, he said, with the people working at the branch at the heart of this decision.
“In order to maintain our employees’ salaries, we have relocated everyone back here to the headquarters,” Dubois said.
Extended Saline County Registration Office Hours
The branch has actually helped to alleviate some of the strain at the head office. When the branch was closed, there were times when wait times at the office were long and those who came noticed the queues.
“We basically kept the same hours (at the office),” Dubois said. “Only the southern branch was open Tuesday through Friday.”
Since the beginning of this month, the office has extended its hours to reduce wait times and lines. In the first week, Dubois said, this seems to have helped.
To further reduce the burden, the district has also introduced something with which citizens can help the office: They can arrange appointments for the license plate allocation online.
“You can go online, make an appointment and not have to wait in line for a long time,” Dubois said.
He said the new scheduling could be especially helpful for people who need to do title work or other lengthy appointments, such as for commercial vehicles or multiple license plate renewals.
“We can work with you to make sure we get everything without holding up the queues,” he said.
Currently, all title work has to be planned.
Dubois said the public can also help the licensing office by using the Kansas Department of Revenue’s license renewal resources, such as the iKan app or mail-in renewals.
“We also have a mailbox here. If you want to fill in all the information, check the box and put it in the mailbox, we will send it back (to the department),” Dubois said.
Working with the Kansas Legislature to obtain more funding for license plate offices
Dubois said the way Kansas handles vehicle licensing and registration gives licensing offices a special place in the government system because, although they are administered by the county, they are agents of the state, which also funds them.
That’s why, he said, he and other revenue officials across the state have been working to pass legislation to provide more funds, especially since the local motor vehicle registration office processes about 80,000 transactions each year.
“We have been trying for almost seven years now to work with the legislature to find solutions on how we can pay our employees and still have enough flexibility to regulate everything,” said Dubois.
Although the state’s two legislative chambers as a whole have not yet taken up the issue, he said he has received support locally.
“Our legislators here in Saline County have been understanding,” Dubois said. “I know Senator (JR) Claeys has tried to help us there.”
Visit the Saline County Tag Office with its new hours
If people need to renew their vehicle registration plates, they can visit the office during the new opening hours for the time being.
The office is open Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the City-County Building, 300 W. Ash St.
Title work is by appointment only and residents can schedule these appointments online or via a kiosk in front of the office.
