Government : Treasurer's Office to Open on Wednesdays for Driver's Licenses in February

The new Treasurer, Michele Sauer presented to the Benton County Supervisors along with Melinda Schottmer the Deputy Treasurer, the idea of closing the Belle Plaine office which is open on Wednesdays.

Staff from the courthouse travel to Belle Plaine on Wednesdays so that the process is more convenient for residents in that area of the county.

The county is paid $7.00 for each license that is renewed, but the convenience costs the county about $10,200 a year for the possible five people that choose to renew their licenses each week in Belle Plaine. Two people from the Treasurer's office travel each week, taking them away from other tasks that need to be done in the courthouse office, and there's not a way to measure the cost of that.

Because of the convenience of short lines, people from Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas make a trip to Vinton to renew their license here, sometimes arriving on a Wednesday, only to find they need to travel to Belle Plaine.

The Treasurer's Office, with the support of the Supervisors, has made plans to close the office in Belle Plaine, and then offer license renewals Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. each day and the Motor Vehicle Department is open until 4:30 p.m. in Vinton at the courthouse.

The change will take effect on February 1, 2020.