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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Some state lawmakers are upset that the Bureau of Motor Vehicles plans to close 12 of its 170 license branches across the state, but BMV officials say the offices must close to save money and enhance services elsewhere.
The BMV said Tuesday the following branches will close June 4: Warren in Huntington County; Montpelier in Blackford County; Cayuga in Vermillion County; Knightstown in Henry County; Elwood and Summitville in Madison County; Hope in Bartholomew County; Bloomfield in Greene County; Berne in Adams County; Butler and Garrett in DeKalb County; and North Manchester in Wabash County.
The BMV said it will try to offer similar positions within the agency or the Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commission to the 25 employees losing their jobs because of the closures.
State Sen. John Waterman, R-Shelburn, said he had no inkling the administration was considering closing a branch in Bloomfield, which is in his southwestern Indiana district. He said he learned of the news Tuesday morning from Rep. Bruce Borders of Jasonville, whose House district also includes the branch.
"It's not nice to be blindsided," Waterman said, adding that the branch was popular with the public. He planned to drive to Indianapolis to talk with BMV officials about the closing.
BMV Commissioner Joel Silverman said in a statement Tuesday that "branch realignment" has been recommended numerous times over the last decade.
"To improve service, the BMV must increase efficiency, investing limited resources to serve the entire state as quickly and conveniently as possible," Silverman said. "To do this, the BMV must close some of its smallest branches to enhance service in every branch."
All 12 of the offices are in towns with a population of less than 10,000, with nine towns containing fewer than 5,000 residents, according to U.S. Census Bureau 2000 data.
Six of the offices to be closed are satellite branches, which are staffed by BMV employees from another branch nearby and are open fewer days of the week, said Adam Garrett, a spokesman for the BMV.
The satellite branch in Cayuga in Vermillion County is slated to close, which angered Democratic Rep. Dale Grubb of Covington. The county in western Indiana is 45 miles long, and the nearest other branch is in Clinton, 21 miles away.
Grubb noted that Republican legislators passed a law this session that will require voters to show driver's licenses or other government-issued IDs to cast ballots, a move Democrats said would especially inconvenience minorities, the poor and the elderly. Vermillion County has one of the state's highest percentages of older residents, with 15.8 percent of them aged 65 and older.
Grubb said the voting law, and the branch closing, will force many seniors to travel farther to obtain state ID cards or conduct other BMV business.
"How much money could this be saving?" Grubb asked. "Government isn't a business. You've got services you have to provide to people."
The branch closures come after the BMV has worked to improve customer service by opening on Saturdays, staying open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and implementing more online services. The agency has 170 branches.
Gov. Mitch Daniels frequently criticized the agency last year during his gubernatorial campaign, saying he would seek longer license renewal periods and to allow auto dealers conduct some transactions.
The administration of then-Gov. Frank O'Bannon proposed in 1999 the closing of 49 branches, mostly in small towns in favor of concentrating the offices in larger communities. The closings were never implemented after legislators complained that they would reduce service and not save enough money.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Full-Service Branch Hours (effective Tues., May 3)
Tuesday: 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, Monday: Closed
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
