POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County Clerk Brad Kendall welcomed county clerks from across the state to Poughkeepsie on Monday as the organization held its conference. Putnam County Clerk Michael Bartolotti was elected president of the organization for the second year.
Like many county clerks throughout the state, Bartolotti administers the local state DMV office. The clerks are entitled to keep a portion of the DMV fees that are collected during transactions. Bartolotti noted that the funds held by the county, known as the “retention fees” have not increased since the late 1990s. The retention for in-person transactions is 12.5 percent. “The State County Clerks Association is actively seeking an increase in retention fees for the invaluable services we officer to our public,” said Bartolotti.
On Monday the association listened as Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro told of a meeting that he and other county executives recently met with Governor Kathy Hochul, who had served as Erie County Clerk from 2007-2011.
“Governor Hochul brought up the topic of increasing county clerk and DMV fees to county governments herself and expressed support for increasing revenues to the counties,” Molinaro said. “We’re hopeful that the legislature agrees.”
Noting that the overhead for county clerks has continued to rise without having an increase in retention fees, Molinaro told the attendees in Poughkeepsie that Hochul intimated that she is likely to propose an increase.
