Legislators suggest nonprofits as fee office solution

For more than 50 years, Missouri governors have awarded control of the state’s fee offices to political supporters. Those offices, where people obtain driver’s licenses and car tags, are powerful thank-you gifts that can generate nearly $1 million in transaction fees each year.

Now Wright and plan co-author Rep. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, along with three other legislators, want to give the fee offices to nonprofit groups and government entities instead.

Thirty-seven of the state’s 183 fee offices are already run by nonprofit groups, Wright said.

Under the plan, the state auditor would have authority to audit the fee offices annually, and no employee of the fee office would be allowed to earn more than $100,000 a year.

State Democrats allege the FBI is investigating Gov. Matt Blunt, who they say may have illegally organized third-party management companies to run the fee offices that he awarded after taking office in 2005.

Wright said he hasn’t seen proof of an FBI investigation, which the FBI won’t confirm either, but Wright’s plan specifically makes third-party management companies illegal.

Blunt has not spoken with Wright or the other legislators, despite asking to do so in June.

The plan also calls for customer fees to be waived for customers who wait in line at fee offices for more than 30 minutes.

Wright is seeking public feedback before crafting reform legislation, which could be prefiled on Dec. 1, ahead of the next legislative session.

See SBJ’s July 17 issue for more on the proposed reforms to the state’s fee offices.