By SALINA POST
The Saline County Commission met on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and during time for commissioners comments, District Two Commissioner Robert Vidricksen asked about the Saline County Vehicle Tag Office.
Board of County Commissioners present at the Oct. 1 meeting:
District Two — Robert Vidricksen II
District Three — Rodger Sparks
District Four — James Weese
District Five — Chairman Joe Hay Jr.
To view the recording of the Saline County Commission's Oct. 1 meeting click the play button above.
Vidricksen raised concerns about the ongoing issue of long lines and delays at the county’s tag office. He noted feedback from constituents and addressed the persistent issue directly.
"We talk about it all the time, and I don't think people really realize that the tag office isn't under the control of the county commission," Vidricksen said. "That's more or less the state situation, but we can help with staffing and so forth."
Vidricksen said when he walked by the county tag office the morning of the commissioner meeting, there were 17 people in line, not counting the people being helped inside the office.
"I think it's time for us to, you know, we talk about it, we shake our head and we move on. Let's schedule some sort of a meeting with the with the treasurer's office, and see what we can do to help some brainstorming of some sort. Do we need more room? Do we need more people?," Vidricksen said. "We don't do anything. I think it's time to for us to try to help."
Smith-Hanes acknowledged the challenges the tag office has faced and said he and Saline County Treasurer, Jim DuBois are planning a campaign to promote alternatives to standing in lines.
"The treasurer and I are meeting to launch a campaign to help better inform the public of the different options other than standing in line," Smith-Hanes said. "Scheduling appointments, paying online, etc. I'm certainly not opposed to the idea of having the treasurer address the commission about other issues. We can look at scheduling that for a meeting later this month."
Treasurer Jim DuBois highlights the fact that there are seldom wait lines at the Saline County Tag Office during the first week of the month.
Smith-Hanes assured the commission that his office would continue to explore solutions to address the issue.
In June 2024, DuBois announced the closure of the Saline County Satellite Tag Office. Operating as an agent for the Kansas Department of Revenue, the satellite tag office relied solely on the income generated through renewals and title fees. These fees, controlled by state representatives, have not been increased in the last 17 years, which made it difficult to sustain the operational costs of the satellite office.
Saline County residents can continue to access all necessary services at the City-County Building. Renewals are mailed out 45 days before their due date. To avoid long lines, residents are encouraged to utilize the No Wait Inside online scheduler or to process tag renewals and payments online.
There is no additional fee for mailing renewals.
"I know that the closure of the satellite office may be an inconvenience," said Saline County Treasurer Jim DuBois. "We've asked the state legislature for the last seven years to try and come up with solutions to help us and it fell on deaf ears. I will say our local legislators were very good at working with us."
On August 1 the Saline County Tag Office expanded its open hours to help relieve long lines.
New Tag Office Hours:
Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
For more information regarding the Saline County Tag Office click here.