|
|
|
GIRARD — Crawford County treasurer Joe Grisolano presented the 2012 estimated Motor Vehicle Operating Fund budget Tuesday to the Crawford County Commission.
But the budget doesn’t require commission approval because, as Grisolano explained, it is not a budget item in the county mill levy.
“The licensing of vehicles is not a county function, but a function of the state,” the treasurer said. “The department is supposed to fund itself with fees that we collect on about 80 percent of the transactions we do.”
He reported that in the past 12 months his team has processed 50,223 motor vehicle transactions, an average of 201 per day. In addition, the satellite office in Pittsburg has received approximately 3,000 ad valorem tax payments.
“From Jan. 1, 2011, through Nov. 18, 2011, the department has collected $3,498,111.50 in Motor Vehicle taxes for distribution,” Grisolano said.
Grant total receipts for 2011 were $281,845.25, with grand total expenditures of $271,748.84. That leaves $10,096.41 left over. At the end of the year, whatever is left has to be transferred to the county general fund.
Grisolano said that he plans to hold in reserve at the end of the year $5,000 to pay for any other equipment that may be needed for the new DMVS software program that the state will be implementing sometime in early 2012.
“Even with this reserve fund, we plan on transferring $10,096.41 back to the county general fund at the end of the year,” Grisolano said.
He estimates $280,597.25 in total receipts for both 2012 and 2013, with estimated expenditures of $270,314.28 in 2012 and $271,256.23 in 2013.
“I did put in a 3 percent pay increase for our employees in 2013,” Grisolano said.
He said that the Pittsburg office, located in the Judicial Center, has accounted for 42 percent of all vehicle transactions this year, up from around 38 percent last year.
“We get more positive comments about the Pittsburg office than anything else we’ve done since I’ve been treasurer,” Grisolano said.
In 2010 the Pittsburg office also collected $16,182 in additional revenue with the $1 convenience fee. That amount collected through Oct. 31, 2011, is $14,457.72, and Grisolano believes it will equal or exceed the 2010 total with two months left in 2011 and November traditionally being the busiest month of the year for motor vehicle transactions.
“We now have to send an additional worker from Girard to Pittsburg for a few hours the last several days of the month so that the clerks there can take a lunch break,” Grisolano said. “I need three people at the Pittsburg office, but there’s no room.”
He said that he likes having the office at the Judicial Center, but would like to explore possible ways of having a larger space there.
GIRARD — Crawford County treasurer Joe Grisolano presented the 2012 estimated Motor Vehicle Operating Fund budget Tuesday to the Crawford County Commission.
But the budget doesn’t require commission approval because, as Grisolano explained, it is not a budget item in the county mill levy.
“The licensing of vehicles is not a county function, but a function of the state,” the treasurer said. “The department is supposed to fund itself with fees that we collect on about 80 percent of the transactions we do.”
He reported that in the past 12 months his team has processed 50,223 motor vehicle transactions, an average of 201 per day. In addition, the satellite office in Pittsburg has received approximately 3,000 ad valorem tax payments.
“From Jan. 1, 2011, through Nov. 18, 2011, the department has collected $3,498,111.50 in Motor Vehicle taxes for distribution,” Grisolano said.
Grant total receipts for 2011 were $281,845.25, with grand total expenditures of $271,748.84. That leaves $10,096.41 left over. At the end of the year, whatever is left has to be transferred to the county general fund.
Grisolano said that he plans to hold in reserve at the end of the year $5,000 to pay for any other equipment that may be needed for the new DMVS software program that the state will be implementing sometime in early 2012.
“Even with this reserve fund, we plan on transferring $10,096.41 back to the county general fund at the end of the year,” Grisolano said.
He estimates $280,597.25 in total receipts for both 2012 and 2013, with estimated expenditures of $270,314.28 in 2012 and $271,256.23 in 2013.
“I did put in a 3 percent pay increase for our employees in 2013,” Grisolano said.
He said that the Pittsburg office, located in the Judicial Center, has accounted for 42 percent of all vehicle transactions this year, up from around 38 percent last year.
“We get more positive comments about the Pittsburg office than anything else we’ve done since I’ve been treasurer,” Grisolano said.
In 2010 the Pittsburg office also collected $16,182 in additional revenue with the $1 convenience fee. That amount collected through Oct. 31, 2011, is $14,457.72, and Grisolano believes it will equal or exceed the 2010 total with two months left in 2011 and November traditionally being the busiest month of the year for motor vehicle transactions.
“We now have to send an additional worker from Girard to Pittsburg for a few hours the last several days of the month so that the clerks there can take a lunch break,” Grisolano said. “I need three people at the Pittsburg office, but there’s no room.”
He said that he likes having the office at the Judicial Center, but would like to explore possible ways of having a larger space there.
Grisolano noted that in May of 2010 Crawford County became the second location by the state chosen to be a regional location to handle the registration and tagging of over-the-road semi trucks and trailers.
“Prior to having this regional setup, all semis had to drive to Topeka to have this work done,” he said. “It is an additional workload for us, but we look at this as a great public service to offer, We also collect an additional fee for the MV Operating Fund for these IRP transactions, and in the past 12 months we have collected an additional $4,970 in those fees.”
He said the demand for IRP transactions in Crawford County may slow somewhat because the Kansas Department of Revenue has set up an additional eight regional offices across the state. The next nearest one is in Wilson County.
Grisolano also had an announcement for the public.
“When the state sent out vehicle renewal notices for November and December, 2001, the notices stated that Motor Vehicle offices across the state would be closed from Dec. 1 through Dec. 7 in anticipation of the change to the new DMVS software,” the treasurer said. “This cut over has now been moved back to sometime early next year, so the Motor Vehicle offices will noted be closed for that week in December.”
