
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 15, 1994                   TAG: 9402150148
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TAX PAYMENTS MADE A LITTLE MORE CONVENIENT

It won't make it any less painful, but Roanoke County's new arrangement with the Department of Motor Vehicles makes paying vehicle taxes and buying decals a little easier.

Car owners can now pick up their tax bill on their cars and buy county decals at the DMV office in Crossroads Mall.

"This is another extension of getting services closer to the citizens," said Commissioner of Revenue Wayne Compton, who announced the one-stop paying method at a news conference Monday.

Residents still must wait in line at the DMV to register their cars, but instead of then traveling to the Commissioner of Revenue's office on Bernard Drive, they can turn around and apply for a county decal and get tax information right there.

Roanoke County was the first in the state to come up with the idea, Compton said, although Chesterfield County adopted the idea and began its operation last week.

Compton predicted that 25 to 30 people a day will make use of the service - nearly half the 75 residents his office sees daily for decals and car taxes. While residents will still have 30 days after registering cars to apply for $20 county decals, they can take care of it in 10 minutes at the new counter at DMV.

Kathy Gardner, an employee in the revenue office who came up with the idea last fall, will staff the county's counter in the DMV from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. DMV provided space for the setup in part of its information counter.

by CNB