Mexico will temporarily be without a motor vehicle and driver's license fee office, effective Dec. 31. Fee agent Pat Thomas confirmed the closing Monday, and said it could be well after the first of the year before the office reopens.
Thomas was appointed under Gov. Matt Blunt's administration in 2005 to oversee the Mexico facility. WIth the newly-elected governor, her appointment would traditionally end later in 2009. However, due to her office manager accepting a new job and governor-elect Jay Nixon's recent decision to kill off the patronage system, Thomas elected to close the site early.
Nixon will be sworn in Jan. 12, but no final decisions on Missouri's 183 fee offices are anticipated until months after the inauguration, Thomas said.
"Not knowing what Nixon is going to do, I thought it best not to try and hire someone new," Thomas explained. "I've already sent my contract back to the state, and I would like to thank everyone for their business over the last four years."
Thomas took over the Mexico fee office in February 2005 from Molly Shellabarger. Then about a year and half ago, Thomas had to place a bid – which was granted.
During her tenure, Thomas has put several new things in place, to include automated systems, and new inventory and security controls – which are required of the contractor bid agent.
"When I started everything was handwritten. Now, it's all done on computer," Thomas said. "I'm hoping that what we've done will help the next person who takes over."
Until then, Thomas said local residents will have to rely on offices in neighboring towns – Vandalia, Montgomery City, Paris, Moberly, Fulton, Columbia or Jefferson City – for their license transactions.
She commended her staff for their loyalty, and thanked the community for its support.
"My staff has been wonderful, and working with people in Mexico has been good," Thomas noted, proudly claiming her native home. "I was born and raised here, so running this office has been a nice way to stay connected to people."
Business in December, January and February, Thomas said, is generally steady, and would be a good time for a person to step in.
Thomas said Mexico has always had good service out of its license office, and had always honored political patronage until 2006 – when federal authorities launched an inquiry into the handling of fee offices in Missouri.
That same year, the Blunt administration began to competitively bid new fee office contracts.
Last week, Governor-elect Nixon announced his intentions to mandate the competitive bid process. Twelve of the 183 license fee offices have already been awarded.
The offices – located throughout Missouri – allow people to renew drivers' licenses and motor vehicle registrations without traveling to Jefferson City. Fee agents such as Thomas, are private contractors who get to keep a small fee added to each transaction.