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BMV Resolves To Be More Transparent, Efficient

Indiana BMV

Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles officials say the agency has made significant progress towards streamlining efficiency and improving transparency. 

An independent firm released a report on the BMV in May after systemic issues – including millions of dollars in fee over- and undercharges – were uncovered.  New BMV Chief of Staff Peter Lacy says the agency has already resolved some of the findings and implemented improvements, including the creation of an internal audit department.  Lacy says the bureau also addressed the 16 mischarged fees identified in the report.

"The system fixes have been put in place on all of them so that no citizen is currently being over- or undercharged on those areas," Lacy assures.

Indianapolis Democratic Representative Dan Forestal says much work remains.  He’d still like to see an occasional external audit and wants to increase transparency on convenience fees charged by what are called “partial service branches” – private companies that provide some of the services the BMV does. 

Still, Forestal says he’s pleased with the progress so far.

"The new administration at the BMW seems like they dedicated to working with us to see that these things get fixed," he says.

The BMV is working with lawmakers, including Forestal, to overhaul the bureau’s fee system in the hopes of reducing complexity.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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