County treasurer says motor-vehicle/tag office funding remains short; commissioners ask KAC to prioritize solution

Sedgwick County Treasurer Brandy told staff and commissioners on Aug. 5 that the county’s motor-vehicle/tag office continues to operate with a funding shortfall and that prior legislative efforts to address the issue have repeatedly stalled.

Brandy said county treasurers across Kansas have tried multiple legislative approaches — increasing fees, reallocating existing fees and other measures — but none have produced a durable change: “It might pass the House, never passes the Senate, or vice versa.” She said recent attendance at treasurers’ meetings shows broad agreement that the office needs additional funding; at the most recent gathering, roughly 87 of 105 county treasurers attended.

Fiscal scale and county concern

County staff noted the county’s planned 2026 subsidy to the tag office is budgeted at $955,000. Commissioners said that level of county support merits KAC attention and urged that motor-vehicle funding be proposed as a KAC legislative priority.

Privatization and alternative models

Commissioners and the treasurer discussed alternative delivery models used in other states. One commissioner noted Missouri’s more privatized tag model, where contracted agents operate additional outlets and retain some fee revenue; Brandy confirmed she has seen such models discussed and said the Treasurer’s Association has not formally advocated for full privatization but that the model has been considered as a potential option.

Next steps

Commissioners asked staff to seek KAC support for elevating motor-vehicle/tag-office funding as a legislative priority. Brandy said county treasurers will continue to pursue legislative remedies and that Sedgwick County will press KAC to include a specific, prioritized request given the program’s significant cost to the county.