BMV offices closing in Delphos, St. Marys

DELPHOS - Beginning next week, people in Delphos, St. Marys and Van Wert will have go to a new place to get their licenses renewed.

As the state's fiscal year ends at the end of the month, contracts end for the deputy registrars in the state. This year, nine branches, including Delphos and St. Marys, will close. Last year seven offices clossed, according to Ohio Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer Lindsay Komlanc.

The Van Wert office is changing registrars and moving to a new location across the street from the old one.

"Over the past two years we've been going through an operational overview of all of our locations," she said.

She said the state spends roughly $130,000 on average to support a branch office. An office needs about 40,000 transactions annually to break even and some offices do as many as 100,000 transactions a year.

The Delphos office did 36,500 transactions in 2008; the St. Marys office, 24,000.

The Delphos branch is closing at the end of business today, but it's staff is moving to Van Wert.

When the Van Wert office on Westwood Drive closes Saturday, the office will move to 777 Fox Road, where it opens Monday with the Delphos staff. Van Wert registrar Dottie Baldauf is retiring and Delphos registrar Kelly Ardner won the contract for the Van Wert office. The St. Marys office closes Saturday.

The state pays some operating expenses, but contracts with registrars to staff individual offices. The state is required to have at least one registrar in each county. Ohio residents can do business at the registrar in any county, regardless of where they live.

All but one of Ardner's employees are moving with her to Delphos. She is hiring one of Baldauf's former employees as well. One of the St. Marys employees moved to the Wapakoneta office, one is retiring and two are looking for work, Komlanc said.

She said the ability to renew license plates by mail and on the Internet has reduced some of the traffic at branch offices.

The Delphos customers who were asked Tuesday how they feel about the local office closing weren't too upset. They said it wasn't a big deal because they only use the office once a year, or less.

Michelle Weyrauch, of Fort Jennings, said it would be a hindrance, but she understands the move.

"You can mail order this," she said, holding up new license plates. "It's the economy, you've got to do what you've got to do."