Staff report
A new state agency opened its doors Monday.
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is a combination of four former Texas Department of Transportation agencies — Vehicle Titles and Registration, Motor Carrier, Motor Vehicle and Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority.
Gov. Rick Perry signed House Bill 3097 in June 2009 to create the new agency lawmakers say will provide “a more focused level of service to Texas citizens.”
The bill also transferred vehicle registration and vehicle-related consumer protection and enforcement programs to the new agency.
“Having a separate agency to deal with vehicle registration and permitting details will enable faster turnaround time to process vehicle title matters, allowing noncommercial and commercial vehicles to spend less down, and minimize loss of income to businesses, “ said Representative Ruth Jones McClendon (San Antonio) author of HB 3097 aid.
Victor Vandergiff, chairman of the board for the TxDMV, said the new agency will better serve Texas’ rapidly increasing population.
Increased motor vehicle demand is a fact of life, he noted.
Vandergriff is a former licensed motor vehicle dealer from the Dallas/Fort Worth area whom Perry appointed in August to head a nine-member board that will oversee the agency.
“TxDMV customers deserve the undivided attention of an agency specifically tailored to their needs that will help them get to where they want to go and enhance the already great business climate in Texas,” he said.
The motor vehicle business in Texas generates more than $4 billion annually for the state. The money is deposited into the state highway fund to help build and maintain the transportation system and the general revenue fund, which provides services for all Texans.
Cooke County Tax-Assessor Collector Billie Jean Knight said the creation of the agency is a positive thing.
She also noted customers should notice no differences in services.
“There will be absolutely no changes. Customers can expect good service and a smooth, transparent transition,” she said.
However, Knight and her staff are not employees of the new department of motor vehicles.
“We are employees of Cooke County who are also agents for (other) state agencies,” she said.
Money taken in by the office is divided between the county and the state according to a formula.
Knight also said she expects to work with the agency’s regional office in Wichita Falls to help ease the transition.
“It will be a smooth adjustment for customers as well as for car dealers,” she said.
She said the DMV will now oversee the enforcement division which regulates both used and new motor vehicle dealerships.
“We’re very lucky. Our dealers do take care of their business. These dealers know to keep their paperwork straight and to remit things in a timely manner,” she said.
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles board plans to meet today in Austin to discuss and review some of the board’s policies and responsibilities.
For more information on the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, visit www.TxDMV.gov.
