Sedgwick County Commission considering consolidating tag office locations

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners is considering consolidating the Kellogg Tag Office to the Douglas location.

This proposal was presented Friday by county treasurer Brandi Baily at the commission’s agenda review meeting. The commission will consider the proposal at its meeting next Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Baily said that there are limited resources and not enough state funding for local tag offices. She said that consolidating the two tag offices in Wichita will save the county $360,000 per year.

“Our hands are tied due to the lack of operational funding from the State of Kansas that does not cover our expenses,” Baily explained.

If the proposal is approved, the Kellogg Tag Office’s last day of operation will be Oct. 9. Services will transfer to the Douglas location with full staffing on Oct. 14.

Baily said that this transition will also provide extra appointment availability. She said that the tag offices are processing up to 3,100 transactions a day, and that consolidating the offices will help better manage demand.

“To have fully staffed stations all throughout the day, that’s the goal. That way, citizens will feel like we’re there, we’re getting the work done,” Baily said.

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The county said that it’s experiencing more demand than usual this year. The commission attributes it to increased vehicle sales, more personalized plate options, and the five-year personalized plate renewal cycle that requires in-person visits.

The county said that service often gets disrupted by system downtimes in the state, and that the offices often don’t receive timely notifications. These outages can last up to three hours.

12 News spoke with a few Sedgwick County residents who voiced opposition to the plans which include closing a Wichita tag office.

The county said there are three satellite locations and plans to add three more. Baily said she hopes that the situation in Sedgwick County can further a message to the state.

“They’ll see that counties are having to make drastic changes in order to run an office because our funding isn’t there,” she said.

Tag Service Locations

Outside of the Douglas Tag Office, Sedgwick County residents can visit satellite locations:

• Kansas Driver Licensing in Derby – 620 N. Rock Rd., Ste. 300, Derby 67037
• Wichita West Kansas Driver Licensing – 610 S. Tyler Rd., Wichita 67209
• Park City City Hall – 1941 E. 61st Street N., Park City 67219

There are three new satellite locations scheduled to open around Sedgwick County in September and October. This will come at no cost to the county, Baily said.

Sedgwick County residents can complete transactions in person, online, by mail, or by using the drop box at the Douglas Tag Office. A full list of required documents is available online.

Long lines, long hours of waiting, an outdated system that constantly crashes and a defunded office are among specific tag-office problems in Sedgwick County.

County commissioners say their hands are tied with a reliance on state legislators.

“The state of Kansas has really not changed anything. There [are] a lot of opportunities at the state level, but they have not done anything recently to address the problem,” Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell said.

Howell said that if it’s approved, the tag-office consolidation in Wichita might solve some of the problems, but not all. He noted that it’s important to look at other options that other states have tried with their tag offices for an efficient service.

“Multiple-year registrations, personal plates that can go for more than five years, privatization, lifting geographical boundaries so you can get your tag work done in any office,” Howell said.