BENTONVILLE -- Life will be a little bit easier for some Benton County residents starting today.
The county Assessor and Collector will be open at the state Revenue Office location, 2401 SW. D St.
At A Glance
About Your Vehicle Tags
Before renewing a vehicle’s license, owners are required to assess the vehicle and pay all personal property taxes owed. Owners also are required to maintain liability insurance on the vehicle. These requirements are checked using a computer.
Source: State Of Arkansas
'It's going to benefit the taxpayers," said Loretta Turner, district manager for the Revenue Office.
County and state offices left their former location on 28th Street last year -- citing maintenance issues -- but couldn't agree on sharing a new office. After the Revenue Office announced it was moving in February 2013 the county began to look at options. The county bought a vacant building at 1428 W. Walnut St. in Rogers and consolidated the Rogers and Bentonville branch operations of the collector and assessor at that location. The Revenue Office moved its Rogers operation to that location, but Bentonville area residents didn't have the convenience of having all the offices they need to get their car tags in one place. That will change with the opening of the D Street office today.
"We're excited," said Collector Gloria Peterson. "It's so much easier for the taxpayer. So much more convenient. They don't have to leave, go to another office and then come back."
Both county offices will shift staff in their Rogers and Bentonville offices to facilitate the move into the D Street building.
The Quorum Court approved Peterson's office adding one new employee for the move, and she will move employees in the Rogers and Bentonville offices to staff the new location.
Bear Chaney, county assessor, also will shuffle his staff. Chaney hopes to cover the additional workload with a part-time employee, at least initially.
The county offices will have slightly different operating hours than the Revenue Office, at least at the outset, Chaney said.
"We'll be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, while the Revenue Office is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.," he said.
That could change if there seems to be a need for the office hours to match, Chaney said.
"I'm open to that," he said. "Gloria and I have talked about that. We're just going to open right now and see how it goes."
The state and county offices are working with Bentonville to get additional signs to direct people to the D Street location, Turner said.
Chaney hopes signs can be placed at the intersection of Walton Boulevard and 28th Street and direct drivers to turn onto D Street from 28th.
"That's how we've been directing people to the Revenue Office," he said.
NW News on 09/15/2014