Locations announced of ADOT motor vehicle offices set to close
November 24, 2009
State budget deficit forcing reductions in services, closure of facilities
PHOENIX — As part of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s roadmap to balance a $100 million budget deficit in connection with the state’s fiscal crisis, 12 Motor Vehicle Division customer service offices around the state are set for closure following completion of a required federal review.
ADOT’s budget roadmap for the 2010 fiscal year includes closure of the MVD offices, temporary suspension of operations at 13 highway rest areas, layoffs affecting 115 employees, and reductions to roadway maintenance and construction efforts. These moves are necessary to balance a budget struck hard by $500 million in transfers away from transportation, and significant declines in vehicle license and gas tax revenue.
MVD offices expected to close include: Ajo, Benson, Bisbee, Central Phoenix (28th Street location), Clifton, East Mesa, Fredonia, Kearny, St. Johns, Superior, Willcox and Williams. The offices in Ajo, Clifton, Fredonia and Superior are currently open part-time. In all, there are currently 61 MVD offices.
Before the offices can be closed, a United States Department of Justice review is required to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 since the offices provide voter registration services.
An exact timeline for the closures will be established following completion of the federal review.
Closure of the 12 identified offices will allow staff to be consolidated into the remaining offices, providing more people to serve customers without further staff layoffs. MVD customer service staffing has been reduced by one-third due to vacant positions and layoffs. Compared to the previous year, average office visit times statewide have increased two minutes due to staffing reductions, a trend expected to continue.
On average, these 12 offices combined provide services to about 28,500 customers per month, ranging from 11,300 for the Central Phoenix location to 201 in Clifton. Overall, MVD offices meet the needs of 4 million customers annually.
Locations identified for closure were evaluated based on the number of customers served, review of the facilities, and the availability of alternative service locations including other MVD or third-party offices. In some cases, offices are in poor repair or have costly ongoing maintenance issues that ADOT simply does not have sufficient funding to address.
“The closure of MVD offices is an inconvenience and hardship for our customers, especially in rural Arizona; however, inadequate state revenues are forcing tough decisions to be made,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski.
“ADOT has suspended rest area operations, laid off employees and cut expenses in numerous ways. There are few choices left and all of those choices impact our customers. It’s not a good position to be in, but it is the reality and we have to deal with it.”
Residents can conduct a range of online transactions through www.ServiceArizona.com or by visiting one of more than 140 third-party vendors statewide. A complete listing, with addresses and alternative or third-party office locations, is available at www.azdot.gov/budgetroadmap or www.azmvdservices.com.
On June 3, Director Halikowski sent a letter to the Arizona Legislature that was read on the floor of the House of Representatives warning lawmakers of the impacts created by the state’s plan to use transportation dollars to pay for other state needs at a time when less money coming in from fuel taxes and vehicle sales has meant a big drop in transportation revenue.
With dedicated funding primarily from the vehicle license tax and gas tax, transportation programs in Arizona are designed to be self funded. Fund transfers over a series of years, amplified as the budget crisis worsened, have siphoned away these dedicated transportation dollars, leaving ADOT severely challenged to deliver public services.
ADOT’s budget roadmap, announced in October, is a necessary effort to reduce costs based on current funding levels. Those reductions, however, will change the experiences of customers and drivers.
Spurred by the state’s $2 billion budget deficit, the $100 million in ADOT budget reductions are separate from future legislative cuts that may attempt to balance the state budget. Future reductions in transportation funds, if enacted, will require further cuts in both operations and personnel.
ADOT continues to explore public-private partnerships and alternative funding sources, like federal money for construction work or grants for specialized services, to deliver services while reducing expenses and retaining critical staff. However, laws restrict how federal funds can be used and some operations, like MVD customer services and highway maintenance, are not eligible for federal funding.
