Wichita County moves toward central custody of vehicle titles; auditor's office to draft policy
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Summary
Commissioners discussed centralizing vehicle titles and fixed‑asset records in the county auditor's office to prevent lost titles and simplify sales and transfers; staff will draft a proposed policy change for the court to consider.
Wichita County Commissioners' Court discussed centralizing vehicle titles and fixed‑asset records on June 13 and directed staff to prepare a proposed change to county policy.
Commissioners and staff described recurring problems locating vehicle and equipment titles across departments. Several speakers said titles for some county vehicles are missing, misfiled or carry inconsistent mailing addresses that make retrieval difficult. One commissioner said recent searches found titles dating back to 1977 alongside missing titles for newer purchases. County staff proposed keeping all county‑purchased vehicle and equipment titles in a secured, centralized location at the auditor's office (Tanya's office was discussed) and organizing the files by department to speed sales and transfers.
Mister Smock (county staff referenced in the discussion) and a county office representative told the court a central custodian for titles would simplify daily transactions and reduce time spent chasing documents: "That's what we're talking about, a custodian of title. This is a great concept." The court discussed exceptions for items purchased with non‑general funds: titles for property bought with forfeiture or DA funds could remain under the DA or sheriff where required, but county‑purchased assets should be titled to Wichita County to keep the records consistent.
County records staff and the auditor's office said they already index many titles and could build department folders and VIN indexes; one staff member noted trailers and some older equipment can complicate the process if VINs are missing or inconsistent. The court asked Tanya to prepare a proposed change to the records‑and‑title policy and return it for action: "Make that as a proposed change to the policy, and court can take action on it," a commissioner said.
No formal vote was recorded at the June 13 meeting. The proposed next steps are that titles for county‑purchased vehicles and equipment be consolidated in the auditor's office in department folders, with elected officials able to keep copies if desired; Tanya will prepare the draft policy language for the court to consider.