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Pennington County treasurer seeks fixes for long lines as officials weigh kiosks, staffing and hours
Summary
Treasurer Annette Brandt told commissioners that long in‑person waits for titles and vehicle transactions are driving public complaints; the county is exploring additional self‑service terminals, staff increases and changes to hours of operation to reduce queues.
Pennington County Treasurer Annette Brandt told the Board of Commissioners on June 24 that her office is receiving more public complaints about long in‑person wait times for motor‑vehicle and title transactions and that the office is testing a mix of technology and staffing changes to bring wait times down.
“Our web contacts are coming in just as fast as the phone calls,” Brandt said. “The majority of the ones that are filling out the comment cards are actually stating they want [hours] to stay, but then their comment at the end says you need to shorten the treasurer’s line.”
Brandt said the office has been piloting an electronic queuing system and is encouraging the use of self‑service terminals that allow residents to renew registrations without staff help. She told the board that the state controls deployment of the larger self‑service kiosks and has told county staff the unit already at the courthouse didn’t show enough usage historically to justify an additional state‑owned kiosk — though the state is budgeting for more devices in 2027 and the county could purchase one earlier if it chooses. “They told me that the volume of the volume of usage on this machine that was here was not enough for them to substantiate putting another one in Pennington County,” Brandt said.
Brandt outlined three near‑term avenues the county is exploring: - Buy or request an extra self‑service terminal to place at a high‑traffic site such as Box Elder or Concourse; the state’s current cost figure for a unit is roughly $97,000, Brandt said. State‑owned kiosks carry no additional fee for public use, she said. - Add temporary staff to train and handle the in‑person surge so lines do not extend outside the building; Brandt told commissioners she is prepared to over‑hire short‑term to train employees and reduce backlog. - Change public hours and counter staffing model after a public comment and data review; the treasurer’s office has been trying four‑day schedules for some staff and gathering metrics on whether that affects queues.
Commissioners pressed for data. Commissioners asked Brandt to provide recent queue times, volumes and the results of a three‑month trial of a staffing or hours change; County staff said they will assemble that reporting and present options with cost estimates before the board’s next budget decisions.
Why it matters: The treasurer’s office processes large amounts of revenue (property‑tax payments, vehicle registrations, title transfers) and public frustration about long waits has become a recurring public‑comment topic at county meetings. The county also collects portions of motor‑vehicle fees that are allocated by statute among the state, county road and bridge funds and municipalities; greater use of self‑service terminals can reduce face‑to‑face demand but requires up‑front procurement and placement decisions.
On the kiosks: Brandt said the state controls allocation of the major public terminals but that county staff are also studying a self‑funded purchase or a placement agreement with Box Elder officials. She said the state’s maintenance and support model for questionnaires and terminals is one reason the state decides placement, but that commissioners could also fund a terminal earlier if they choose. She also asked commissioners to encourage the state to move a device from another site to Pennington County sooner, noting that larger jurisdictions (Sioux Falls) have more devices and higher utilization.
What's next: Treasurer Brandt will deliver a data package—average wait times, counts of title/transfers, kiosk transaction counts and a cost estimate for buying/operating a county‑owned terminal—so commissioners can assess whether to fund additional terminal hardware or a staffing supplement in the FY2026 budget.
Ending: Commissioners thanked Brandt and county staff for the review and asked staff to return with a short, data‑driven decision memo that lists estimated costs and likely placement options for a kiosk and the likely hourly cost of additional counters or trained seasonal staff.
