DMV Outreach Drives Revenue Broome County Clerk Connects with Constituents By Joseph A. Mihalko, Broome County Clerk
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ince taking the helm as Broome County Clerk in January 2018, I’ve been working hard to develop new, innovative ways to connect with my constituents and attract more DMV customers. In today’s fast-paced society, when nearly everything can be done online with a credit card and the click of a button, flexibility is key to connecting with customers and maintaining relationships. That means continually reassessing the services we offer and making necessary adjustments to enhance accessibility and accommodate residents’ busy schedules. Currently, only 40% of all DMV transactions are processed locally. Many of us simply lack the time and patience to visit a crowded DMV office when we can process the same transaction online without the hassle. Unfortunately, that convenience comes at a price for county governments, which are bleeding revenue every time someone renews online or mails their paperwork to the Albany DMV. So how can cash-strapped localities retain these fees and better connect with residents to incentivize local renewals? I’d argue the solution is twofold: We need to work smarter to meet the community’s needs and we must convince our state leaders
to update New York’s antiquated fee sharing agreement with county governments. New York State has been pocketing 87.3% of all DMV fees collected locally since 1999. Coupled with declining revenues from online sales, it’s a recipe for disaster. My deputies and I traveled up to Albany on March 5th to drive this point home with our Senate and Assembly representatives, Transportation Committee members, and newly-appointed DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder. Senator Richie carries a bill that would increase the county’s share of fees from 12.7% to 25%. This legislation is critical to the future of our local DMVs, but we’re not making enough noise and it won’t pass unless county leaders across the state start speaking out about it in a loud, clear, unified voice. In the meantime, my office has been initiating a variety of outreach efforts to connect with drivers and encourage their use of our local services. For example, we enclosed a flyer with every homeowner’s 2019 property tax bill touting the fiscal impact of renewing locally. To date, we’ve received 170 driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals using the pre-printed address card that was included on the flyer - that’s money that would’ve landed in the abyss of Albany’s General Fund otherwise. We also installed DMV “Drop Boxes” in six different rural and suburban locations throughout Broome County, where residents can deposit their renewals. They’re a win-win for the county, which retains a portion of the fees, and for our residents who get to save their stamps and avoid the DMV lines. As an added convenience, Broome County also offers Saturday DMV hours, drawing customers from every county in the Southern Tier and beyond. Residents from 17 other counties— many of whom live well over an hour away—regularly travel to Endicott to utilize our Saturday services.
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NYSAC News | Spring/Summer 2019
