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Tax collector in slow lane on issuing driver licenses
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| As Rotary President Bob Garner looks on, Columbia County Tax Collector Ronnie Brannon tells Lake City Rotary Club members and guests Thursday afternoon why he does not want to provide driver license services. JEFF M. HARDISON/Lake City Reporter |
Brannon says he wants to avoid more cost to taxpayers.
By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.com
When Columbia County Tax Collector Ronnie Brannon first ran for office in 2004, he said he did not want to issue Florida driver licenses.
No one ran against Brannon in the 2008 election. He still doesn’t want to provide driver license services, he said, because it would cost Columbia County taxpayers more money.
The bulk of income for the Tax Collector’s Office, he said, comes from commissions paid on collecting property taxes for the local taxing authorities — Columbia County Board of County Commissioners, Lake City City Council, Columbia County School Board, Suwannee River Water Management District, Lake Shore Hospital Authority and Columbia County Industrial Development Authority.
The bulk of current expenses to the office, Brannon said, is from providing service to people for car titles, boat titles, and hunting and fishing licenses. As a result, the commission fees cover costs for the other services provided by the tax collector’s office.
If Brannon added the driver license service to his office, the revenue it generates would cost the county about $28,000 a year, he estimated. He would have to buy equipment and take on more employees, he said.
By using the average number of licenses issued, and applying the fee paid for the service, and subtracting for employee salaries, although not subtracting the cost of employee benefits, Brannon said he reached the $28,000 annual loss estimation.
Funding to provide the service does not yet exist for Columbia County yet. Levy and Suwannee counties are among the tax collectors who provide driver license services.
Brannon said those counties never had state offices. Residents previously went to bigger cities, like Gainesville, to obtain their driver licenses. When tax collectors in those counties saw the need for service, they offered it, Brannon said.
“The state is phasing out its driver license offices,” Brannon said. “They have been doing this for two or three years. The state has an office here. Why should I take that cost on?”
The Florida Highway Patrol office for driver licenses in Lake City could be leased, Brannon said. He does not know if there is a separate electric meter for that office. The issue has not reached that point yet.
“As long as the state keeps a driver license office at the (Florida) Highway Patrol,” Brannon said, “I’ll stay out of providing it.”
Brannon said he has no doubt that the state wants to close its Lake City office for driver licenses and that will force him to take over the service.
Ann Nucatola, public information director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, said the DHSMV Agency Strategic Plan includes a long-term strategy to expand public and private partnerships. The expansion of these partnerships, she said, is to increase visibility or availability of services and to achieve strategic objectives.
“We want to be as much of a help and convenience to customers as possible,” Nucatola said.
One method to enhance delivery options is to include tax collectors for driver license services, she said.
“Although we recognize that the decision to provide driver license services is a decision each county tax collector must make based on his or her own unique circumstances,” Nucatola said, “the DHSMV is prepared to assist them if they choose to move in that direction.”
She said the DHSMV would provide equipment and “consumables.” Also, tax collectors are authorized to add a $5.25 fee for each license. This has been the law since 1996, Nucatola said.
“We often work with tax collectors,” she said. “They are conscientious about good customer service, as we are too, which makes for a good partnership.”
No one ran against Brannon in the 2008 election. He still doesn’t want to provide driver license services, he said, because it would cost Columbia County taxpayers more money.
The bulk of income for the Tax Collector’s Office, he said, comes from commissions paid on collecting property taxes for the local taxing authorities — Columbia County Board of County Commissioners, Lake City City Council, Columbia County School Board, Suwannee River Water Management District, Lake Shore Hospital Authority and Columbia County Industrial Development Authority.
The bulk of current expenses to the office, Brannon said, is from providing service to people for car titles, boat titles, and hunting and fishing licenses. As a result, the commission fees cover costs for the other services provided by the tax collector’s office.
If Brannon added the driver license service to his office, the revenue it generates would cost the county about $28,000 a year, he estimated. He would have to buy equipment and take on more employees, he said.
By using the average number of licenses issued, and applying the fee paid for the service, and subtracting for employee salaries, although not subtracting the cost of employee benefits, Brannon said he reached the $28,000 annual loss estimation.
Funding to provide the service does not yet exist for Columbia County yet. Levy and Suwannee counties are among the tax collectors who provide driver license services.
Brannon said those counties never had state offices. Residents previously went to bigger cities, like Gainesville, to obtain their driver licenses. When tax collectors in those counties saw the need for service, they offered it, Brannon said.
“The state is phasing out its driver license offices,” Brannon said. “They have been doing this for two or three years. The state has an office here. Why should I take that cost on?”
The Florida Highway Patrol office for driver licenses in Lake City could be leased, Brannon said. He does not know if there is a separate electric meter for that office. The issue has not reached that point yet.
“As long as the state keeps a driver license office at the (Florida) Highway Patrol,” Brannon said, “I’ll stay out of providing it.”
Brannon said he has no doubt that the state wants to close its Lake City office for driver licenses and that will force him to take over the service.
Ann Nucatola, public information director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, said the DHSMV Agency Strategic Plan includes a long-term strategy to expand public and private partnerships. The expansion of these partnerships, she said, is to increase visibility or availability of services and to achieve strategic objectives.
“We want to be as much of a help and convenience to customers as possible,” Nucatola said.
One method to enhance delivery options is to include tax collectors for driver license services, she said.
“Although we recognize that the decision to provide driver license services is a decision each county tax collector must make based on his or her own unique circumstances,” Nucatola said, “the DHSMV is prepared to assist them if they choose to move in that direction.”
She said the DHSMV would provide equipment and “consumables.” Also, tax collectors are authorized to add a $5.25 fee for each license. This has been the law since 1996, Nucatola said.
“We often work with tax collectors,” she said. “They are conscientious about good customer service, as we are too, which makes for a good partnership.”
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not well informed wrote on Nov 15, 2008 10:47 PM: