ALBANY – As more and more people renew license plates, drivers’
licenses, title transfers and other functions online instead of at their
local county clerk’s office, counties in New York State are losing
money.
As a result, State County Clerks’ Association President Brad Kendall,
the Dutchess County clerk, urged state lawmakers to increase the county
share of those direct transactions from 12.7 percent to 25 percent.
Kendall told the Senate Local Government Committee in Albany on Tuesday
that last year, Dutchess took an almost $1 million revenue hit as a result.
“New York State has been very aggressive in providing Internet services
for DMV customers, something I fully support, but they have to recognize
it has a very negative impact on county revenues. Last year alone, Dutchess
County lost a potential $900,000 in revenue to Internet transactions,”
he said.
The county clerks’ association is asking the state to reexamine
the revenue sharing model that has been in place for the last 15 years
to recognize the services the county’s provide their customers,
often at no fee.
The proposal passed in the Senate last year, but died in the Assembly
Transportation Committee.
