Alachua County tax collector to offer kiosks at Publix
Alachua County residents can choose a new option to renew their vehicle registration starting next week: self-serve kiosks at two local Publix stores.
The Alachua County Tax Collector's Office will follow the lead of 21 other Florida counties by offering the kiosks as an option. If statewide numbers hold true, Tax Collector John Power said the office could annually save $70,000 and 2,000 staff hours with the kiosks.
He said those savings can then be used to further the office's work and make services more convenient.
The new kiosks will go live next Wednesday at the Jonesville Publix, the busiest in the county according to the tax collector office, and the Publix at the corner of NW 39th Avenue and NW 13th Street.
Currently, Alachua County residents can set up an appointment at one of the tax collector locations or renew their registration online.
Power said that online registration remains the cheapest and most convenient option, but for residents who need their registration immediately or who find the kiosks handier than online, the option will be in place.
The kiosks, operated by ITI Technology, Inc. under a contract with the state, have handled more than 1.3 million vehicle registrations in Florida. Clay, Duval, Palm Beach and Polk counties have already enlisted the help of kiosks with ITI Technology. The company says the average customer transaction takes two minutes.
"Our product is not the tax bill; it's not the driver license; it's not the car tag," Power said. "Our product is that customer service element, that retail time, that retail transaction, the time that we spend with you and how to make it convenient with you."
The tax collector's office, he said, serves as a middleman between the products offered and required by state departments—fishing licenses from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, driver's licenses from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and property taxes for the Department of Revenue.
Making the process convenient is how tax collectors add value, Power said.
He said his office already delivers at a high level, citing a less than a 15-minute wait time for 85% of customers who enter the brick-and-mortar locations and less than a 5-minute wait for the majority of those seen face-to-face.
Because the kiosks are operated by a vendor with space provided by Publix, vehicle registrations will have a $4.50 fee attached along with any credit card fees—usually 2.5%.
Power said none of those funds will go to the tax collector's office. The money is used to pay the vendor, supply the kiosks and use the Publix space.
He said online registrations have a $1 fee on top of the state's typical $36.10 for a standard car.
Customers will only need their license plate number and birthdate to renew using the kiosks or the personal identification number (PIN) on the renewal notice.
People wanting to renew certain specialty licenses will not be able to use the kiosks, including mobile homes, vessels, handicap tags or any registration that requires additional documentation to be approved.
A small percentage of users may also need to stop by a physical location if the kiosks can't access their insurance information on the state database. Power said this might occur if customers recently dropped, renewed or changed insurance.
"We don't control the rules or the regulations on what it takes to get a driver's license; we don't control the cost of what it costs to get a driver's license," Power said. "But we control the customer service element, where you can get it done, how quickly you can get it done, and the type of respect and customer service that you receive during the process."
Jon Costabile, chief deputy tax collector, said the tax collector's office started another partnership in September aimed at easing a driver's ability to renew their license or registration. Any tolls imposed by Central Florida Expressway (CFX) can now be paid at any tax collector's office.
The office is already getting about 15-25 customers per day paying these tolls —usually after drivers have forgotten or not realized that the toll existed.
Before the partnership, Costabile said the tax collector was prohibited from renewing a license or registration if an outstanding toll was on file. Customers would have to reschedule an appointment until after they paid the toll online or by phone.
Costabile said ITI Technologies, Inc. may expand to other Alachua County Publix stores depending on usage. On the state level, he said conversations are ongoing about expanding the types of registrations or renewals that the kiosks can handle—noting that the machines are capable of doing more.
For now, Power and Costabile have their fingers crossed that the kiosk rollout runs smoothly. The machines should be installed Monday, tested Tuesday and opened to the public on Wednesday.
