STATUS OF NEILLSVILLE DMV UP IN THE AIR
Friday, July 1st, 2011 -- 12:30 PM
There?s a chance Neillsville will lose its Department of Motor Vehicles service station as officials work to implement changes in the new budget.It?s also possible Neillsville?s service station will be open more than it is now.
DMV Operations Manager Patrick Fernan says the budget will require them to have service stations open at least 20 hours per week in all 72 counties. Currently, only 30 counties meet that requirement.
Clark County is currently served by two stations: one in Abbotsford that?s open the 3rd Thursday of every month, and one in Neillsville that?s only open the 4th Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September and November.
Fernan says the state will only keep one location open. They may keep an existing station open, or close both and try to find a more central location.
"We'll be looking at a number of factors in each county: where we're currently located, where the county seat is, where the major population centers are," Fernan explains.
Which ever route they take, the service station will be open 20 hours every week.
The implementation of the budget provision is going to be costly and time consuming.
"It will involve finding, renting, equipping and furnishing staff for 35 new locations around the state," Fernan explains. "It will cost approximately $6-million in the first year, and 4-million each subsequent year."
Fernan says the changes should be ready to roll out by the end of January 2012.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.