Two Valley MVD offices among closures

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Department of Transportation has come up with a list of 12 Motor Vehicle Division customer service offices which will be closed as the department deals with a $100 million budget deficit.

Two of the offices are in the Valley, the 28th Street location in central Phoenix and the East Mesa office. The other offices are: Ajo, Benson, Bisbee, Clifton, Fredonia, Kearny, St. Johns, Superior, Willcox and Williams. The offices in Ajo, Clifton, Fredonia and Superior currently are open part-time.

MVD closures come after the temporary closure of 13 highway rest areas, layoffs of 115 employees and reductions in roadway maintenance and construction spending.

ADOT said that, before the MVD offices can be closed, a U.S. Department of Justice review is required to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 because the offices also provide voter registration services. A timeline for closures will be established following completion of the federal review.

The offices scheduled to be closed were evaluated based on the number of customers served, review of the facilities and the availability of alternative service locations, ADOT said.

ADOT Director John Halikowski said, "The closure of MVD offices is an inconvenience and hardship for our customers, especially in rural Arizona. However, inadequate state revenues are forcing tough decisions to be made."

He added, "ADOT has suspended rest area operations, laid off employees and cut expenses in numerous ways. There are few choices left and all of those choices impact our customers. It's not a good position to be in, but it is the reality and we have to deal with it."

Halikowski said ADOT has been "severely challenged" to deliver services because revenues from the vehicle license tax and gas tax, previously earmarked for transportation programs, have been diverted to other things during the current budget crisis.