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Treasury, taxation and motor vehicle services present staffing squeeze; county subsidizes state motor vehicle function
Summary
Treasury and motor vehicle leaders told the commission turnover, steady headcount since 2012 and rising transaction volume have stretched operations; the office requested RARs for staffing and inflationary costs and noted the county currently subsidizes motor vehicle services with property tax dollars.
Tom Franzen, director of Treasury, Taxation and Vehicles (TTV), told commissioners the department has restructured and repurposed a vacant leadership position into two frontline motor vehicle specialists but that overall staffing levels have remained essentially unchanged since 2012 while population and transaction growth have increased demand.
Franzen said the department processed about 713,000 transactions in the prior year and that motor vehicle counter wait times have lengthened from a pre‑pandemic target of around 60 minutes to an average in the 120–180 minute range; the department’s 2026 RAR requested funding to add up to 16 FTEs to return toward a 60‑minute target (first 8 FTEs to staff all counters and additional 8 to cover scheduled and unscheduled absences). The manager’s recommended budget did not fund the full 16‑FTE request; two new motor vehicle specialists were created by reallocating one vacant leadership position.
Franzen told the board that motor vehicle services remain largely fee‑supported by the state, and the county’s general fund subsidizes motor vehicle counter operations: FY figures cited in the discussion showed roughly $4.89 million in departmental revenue versus about $7.9 million in expenditures, leaving a gap of roughly $3 million that the county covers through property tax support. Franzen and commissioners discussed the policy implications of a state‑mandated service funded locally and noted past attempts to seek fee changes at the Kansas Legislature have seen limited traction.
The department also described recent efficiencies: a banking partner change (to US Bank) for treasury operations, creation of a county clerk manual for training and a new queuing and appointment system that offers appointment scheduling and real‑time insights but has been criticized for inaccurate wait‑time forecasts. The office said it continues to track inspections, certification and maintenance for property tax work and that it used pilot programs for property tax relief that expanded eligibility and payout levels in year two of the pilot.
Commissioners asked whether the motor vehicle function could be reduced to match state‑funded revenue levels; Franzen said that would require significant cuts to in‑person services, potentially including eliminating the ability for residents to renew in person and would likely reduce customer satisfaction. He said the county continues to press the legislature for fee‑for‑service changes but with limited success.
Ending: No formal budget vote was taken; TTV will provide requested details and the board will consider staffing and fee policy implications during budget revisit sessions.
