FRANKENMUTH -- The following is a message from State Rep. Ken Horn and Sen. Roger Kahn:
State Rep. Ken Horn and Sen. Roger Kahn have received confirmation from the Michigan Secretary of State's office that it will close its Frankenmuth office, but provide a self-service kiosk for residents to use.
The lawmakers, who strongly opposed the closure, have met with Secretary of State officials, collected and sent thousands of petitions, and sent letters to Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land asking her to reconsider the decision. The state announced in November it would close the Frankenmuth office due to budget and operational reasons.
"It's disappointing the Secretary of State's office failed to recognize how important its branch office is to the Frankenmuth community, especially after more residents were instructed to use this office after the Vassar office closed in 2005," said Horn, R-Frankenmuth. "Many people throughout the area rely on the office for basic services. Getting a self-service station is a small but important victory for local residents."
The lawmakers want to thank Sheila Stamaris, director of the Frankenmuth Downtown Development Authority, and many other local officials for their work in securing the self-service station for the city as the department was closing. The lawmakers said Tom Johnston, owner of the current branch location, should also be recognized for his willingness to sacrifice for the residents of Frankenmuth.
"I had hoped that the secretary of state would have been more responsive to our people's needs," said Kahn, R-Saginaw Township. "Throughout, our local leaders showed a clear willingness to work with the secretary and offer solutions to prevent the closure. While the closure now appears inevitable, I am glad that their hard work at least led to the placement of a self-service kiosk."
Residents can use self-service stations to renew their license plate tabs. However, in upcoming months the SOS will unveil a host of new options on the Web, including the ability to change addresses, update voter registration and much more.
