A new agent was announced Thursday for Houston’s Missouri Department of Revenue fee office.
Cynthia L. Blades of West Plains, who has been an employee of the West Plains office since 2007, was the winning bid among three submitted. The office will relocate from 122 Walnut to the Houston Plaza on North U.S. 63. A one-half of 1 percent ($333) return to the state was included in the bid. Other bidders were the current agent, Kevin McGowen, and Brenda Bates.
A reformed competitive bidding process implemented by Gov. Jay Nixon and supported by legislators is used to award management contracts.
“The new system allows any interested person or group an opportunity to bid for a local license office,” Nixon said. “Professional staff at the department of revenue then reviews the bids, and the bid that is the most financially efficient and promises the best customer service wins. This reformed process is more open than the old system, and it will result in better services for the people who need to get driver licenses and license plates.”
Of the 138 offices awarded so far, 79 have gone to incumbents or been awarded to relatives or groups associated with incumbent agents. Fifty-nine of the offices have been awarded to new agents. Of the 183 total offices, bidding has closed on 181, and two remain open. For a list of winning bidders for license offices, go to http://oa.mo.gov/purch/awardedfeeoffices.pdf.
Alana M. Barragan-Scott, director of the Missouri Department of Revenue, noted what criteria are evaluated by the department when office bids are considered.
“The department evaluates each bid carefully, even if there is just one bid for an office,” she said. “But no matter how many bids there are, the department looks for measures to improve customer service, the experience of a potential agent and whether the office location is a secure and accessible one.”
All local license offices provide services that are overseen by the Missouri Department of Revenue, but each is operated by an independent contractor. Transactions that are conducted at these offices include the issuance and renewal of driver licenses, issuance of titles for motor vehicles and the issuance and renewal of registration for motor vehicles, boats and outboard motors.