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Commission delays signing motor-vehicle memorandum after county staff warn of new costs
Summary
County staff outlined equipment, IT and recurring supply costs tied to a new state motor-vehicle memorandum; commissioners voted to negotiate terms with other counties before signing.
County motor-vehicle staff briefed the commission on a revised memorandum of understanding (MOU) from the state that would shift equipment, IT, paper, toner and postage costs to counties for driver and motor-vehicle services.
Staff told commissioners the county previously used state-owned terminals and equipment; under the new cloud-based system, the county would own and maintain necessary PCs, scanners, printers, toner and envelopes. Staff estimated a startup cost in the low five figures for initial equipment and supplies and recurring annual expenses for supplies and IT support.
"It used to be that the computers we did motor vehicle transactions on were owned by the state," a county staff member said. The staff estimate presented to the commission included individual items such as a $1,200 PC, a $990 scanner and a $369 printer plus consumables; staff said the total start-up was roughly $11,000–$15,000 (estimate provided in meeting discussion) and that annual operating costs would follow.
The county’s publishing and county association (the NCTA) have urged counties to coordinate and seek negotiation with the state before counties sign the agreement. Staff reported some counties had already signed the MOU; others were waiting. Commissioners were also told the state currently provides only limited retained revenue to counties and that the county’s entitlement funding could be affected by related policy changes.
After discussion the commission voted to direct staff and the county’s association to pursue negotiations with the Department of Justice/state motor-vehicle administration and to withhold signature until negotiations conclude or a majority of counties adopt terms. A motion to authorize negotiation and to coordinate with other counties passed by voice vote.
Why this matters: The change would move recurring and capital costs for motor-vehicle services from the state to counties, with estimated first-year start-up costs in the low five figures and ongoing supply and IT costs thereafter. Commissioners instructed staff to negotiate and to pursue a collective county position before signing individual county MOUs.
