I would like to respectfully address the concern Tom Givon raised in a recent letter to the editor (Herald, Aug. 26) regarding the Department of Motor Vehicles in Durango.
The La Plata County Clerk and Recorder is responsible for conducting elections, recording real property records, issuing marriage licenses and registering and titling motor vehicles. Our office is located at 98 Everett St., behind the Comfort Suites hotel. The state of Colorado operates the driver’s license office and the county has no involvement with this department. The driver’s license office is located next to Office Depot in the Centennial Center.
My staff is hard-working, friendly and efficient. Their smiling faces, kind words and dedication make me very proud. It is a difficult job, yet every member of our team takes so much pride in being a public servant and offering the highest standards of customer service.
As an elected official, it is my commitment – and my responsibility – to make the best decisions I can in order to serve our community. Many of these are extremely difficult and none is made without thoughtful consideration and valid data. Closing the Bayfield Motor Vehicle office is an example. Unfortunately, we are not the only county closing satellite offices due to budget constraints. I truly wish we were not in these trying times, but the reality is that, as a county, our property tax receipts are declining, and with a disproportionately low mill levy rate, will not recover without significant changes to our revenue structure.
My commitment is to provide the best service we can and continually look for areas to improve. We have installed a motor vehicle registration renewal kiosk in the Pine River Library. The kiosk provides extended hours, is of no cost to the county and creates zero job loss. We will install a kiosk in the Durango Motor Vehicle office by the end of the year. We hope these kiosks will provide a convenience to our citizens and further my commitment to good stewardship of taxpayer dollars – particularly in this period of fiscal challenges for La Plata County.
Tiffany Lee Parker La Plata County Clerk and Recorder
Durango
