Department of Revenue News Release

JEFFERSON CITY - Four more local motor vehicle and license offices have been awarded using a reformed and competitive bidding process championed by Gov. Jay Nixon.

"Customer service and financial efficiency are the main components of the winning bids for all of the local license offices in Missouri," Gov. Nixon said.  "Anyone is allowed to submit bids for the offices, and the professional staff at the Missouri Department of Revenue decides who has the best bid.  The final result is better customer service for Missouri citizens and more efficiently run offices."

The four offices awarded today are in Bridgeton, Chesterfield, High Ridge and Plattsburg. All of the offices will remain at their current locations, except Bridgeton.

Bidders have the option of returning a portion of the office's revenues to the state.  All four of this week's winning bidders will return some of their revenues.  The estimated amount of money that will be returned to the state in the first contract year from the 158 offices that have been awarded so far under the new bidding process is $819,833.

The Bridgeton License Office has been awarded to a new agent, MT Services, Inc.  The winning bid was one of four submitted.  MT Services, Inc. is associated with Mark S. Miles of St. Charles, who was a former agent for the Bridgeton License Office, and William T. Tighe of Edwardsville, IL.  The office will continue to be in the Bridgeton Oaks Plaza, but it will move from 12310 Natural Bridge Rd. to 12330 Natural Bridge Rd.  A 5 percent ($12,107) return to the state was included in the bid.

Ryker Enterprises has been selected to be the new agent for the Chesterfield License Office, which is located at 1711 Clarkson Rd.  The business is associated with Danah Lewis of Eureka, who has several years of experience as manager and agent for the West County License Office.  The winning bid was one of seven submitted, and a 3 percent ($9,320) return to the state was included in the bid.

High Ridge Services, LLC, the incumbent agent, will continue to operate the High Ridge License Office.  The company is associated with Derrick R. and Wendi B. Good of Cedar Hill.  Derrick Good is the current office agent and Wendi Good is the current office manager.  Paul Schmidt, Sr. of Imperial, the current agent of the Imperial License Office, is also associated with the company.  The winning bid for the office was one of three submitted.  The office is located at 1684 Old Gravois Rd., and a 2 percent ($6,615) return to the state was included in the bid.

The Plattsburg License Office, located at 102 E. Maple St., will be operated by a new agent, CPLO Enterprises.  The business is associated with Gary Summers of Cameron and Steve Tinnen of Plattsburg.  Summers is a former agent of the Cameron License Office and Tinnen is a former agent of the Plattsburg License Office.  CPLO's bid was one of two submitted, and a 1.5 percent ($1,177) return to the state was included in the bid.

Details about any changes in office operations, if any, will be announced by the agents.

Although Gov. Nixon authorized the Missouri Department of Revenue to implement the new bidding system in January, it didn't become part of state law until legislation was signed by the Governor this past summer. The new law was overwhelmingly approved by both Republican and Democratic members of the Missouri Legislature.

Of the 158 offices awarded so far, 90 have gone to incumbents or groups associated with incumbent agents.  Sixty-eight of the offices have been awarded to new agents.

Alana M. Barragán-Scott, director of the Missouri Department of Revenue, noted the openness of the new bidding system.

"Any interested group or individual can bid to run an office," she said.  "Once all of the bids have been considered, a winner is chosen and all of the paperwork is completed, all of the bids are publicly available through the Office of Administration."

All local license offices provide services that are overseen by the Department of Revenue, but each office 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.

###

To follow the Missouri Department of Revenue on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/MissouriRevenue.  If you don't already have a Twitter account, you'll have to create one before you can follow the Missouri Department of Revenue.