Revenue Collections Continue Upward Trend in DeKalb County Clerk’s Office
Revenue collections in the County Clerk’s Office have increased within the last six years due partly to additional services offered.
“Since the end of the 2014 fiscal year, our office has seen significant growth in total revenues receipted, services provided, and transactions completed. The fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 provided to be another productive year for the DeKalb County Clerk’s Office. Motor vehicle transactions alone increased by 2,983. For 2020, the office completed 26,118 motor vehicle transactions compared to 23,135 in 2019,” said County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss.
The upward trend also continues in overall revenue collections. “In 2016 annual receipts were $1,407,473.80; $1,621,099.18 in 2017; $1,779,622.48 in 2018; $1,834,038.60 in 2019; and $1,928,076.43 for the year fiscal year ending June 30, 2020,” Poss said.
Excess fees collected in 2020 totaled $183,915.29, an increase from $173,711.02 in 2019.
Title production has also steadily increased over the last six years. “In 2013 a total of 2,897 were issued locally. By 2015 it had almost doubled at 5,589 and for the last three years, 2017, 2018, and 2019, we have seen an average increase of 6,104 in locally issued titles. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 our office issued 6,686 titles, an 11.4% increase over 2019”.
More people have been taking advantage of the driver license/ID renewal kiosk in recent years. For example, 502 kiosk transactions were successfully completed in 2014 and that grew to 1,653 in 2019.
“Although this machine is designed to be for self-service use, a majority of the kiosk transactions require assistance in order for them to be successfully completed and we often have to contact the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Office to resolve kiosk operation issues or to keep it maintained and in proper working order,” said Poss.
“While revenues are important, we are happy to be able to offer a wider variety of services than ever before without the benefit of additional fees for the operation of our office. Services for which we receive no payment or office fees include completing certain tasks for the public at the kiosk, assistance in completing computer processed driver license reinstatements, payments, and fines for customers, handgun carry renewals, obtaining FEIN numbers, filing 2290 forms required for the federal heavy vehicle use tax on all plates involving vehicles exceeding 55,000 pounds, filing and payment of business tax renewals, monthly filing and payment of sales and use taxes, and more. These are just a few of the many tasks we perform daily in the county clerk’s office as a courtesy to our citizens,” said Poss.
