EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 The tax office in West El Paso has been closed until further notice to address a backlog in vehicle title and registration processing, according to the El Paso County tax assessor-collector on Tuesday. <\/p>\n
Ruben Gonzalez, the El Paso County tax assessor-collector, said in a statement to KFOX14\/CBS4 that the closure is necessary for staff to manage the backlog, which has been exacerbated by Texas House Bill 718. <\/p>\n
The bill, effective since July, mandates motor vehicle dealers to issue metal license plates to buyers at the time of sale using a new system. <\/p>\n
Gonzalez noted that issues with this process have contributed to the backlog, which is expected to increase as more people purchase vehicles this season. <\/p>\n
According to Gonzalez, the Westside location will now be used to conduct work to address the backlog, as the location has low foot traffic.<\/p>\n
“Our Westside office is a low volume office and is equipped with the necessary workstations to review Dealer work. It was the obvious choice to let this office focus on this priority. In addition, alternating closures in our other offices one day out of the week has helped our office stay current with the steady flow of incoming work. However, I expect a huge increase of vehicle sales in the next few months with Christmas, Income Tax Refunds, and end of the year closeout sales from the dealer community. This will place us in a backlogged position. So, I am monitoring to see how this works out with the closure of this office. If our workload stays busy, I may not be able to open this office to the public. As much I want to help our citizens, obtaining resources from the Commissioner\u2019s Court would be the only solution. As a remedy, the public can visit our other six Tax Office locations for their registration and property tax payment needs,” Gonzalez said. <\/p>\n