If Sen. Jerry Ellis had his way, tag agents and county election board secretaries wouldn’t be appointed by their local senators.
But until state law changes, Ellis, D-Valliant, said he’s going to make changes in his far southeastern Oklahoma senate district that will bring better service to the public.
"I’ve got seven tag agents in this district, and about half of them are going to be changed out,” said Ellis, who was recently elected to the Senate seat held by Jeff Rabon.
"The main thing I’m interested in is providing service to people. I do not relish this (appointing people to jobs). This is not anything I enjoy.”
How agents are hired State law allows for tag agents and county election board secretaries to be appointed in the state’s smaller communities.
There are currently 306 tag agents in the state, according to the Tax Commission. In communities with a population more than 8,500 within counties having a population larger than 130,000, applicants cannot be appointed and must be reviewed by commission staff, said Paula Ross, Tax Commission spokeswoman.
Cleveland, Oklahoma and Tulsa counties are the only ones falling into that category, Ross said.
The idea is that in the smaller areas, the local senators know the community better and talk with constituents frequently, Ross said.
The only requirement for appointed tag agents is that they pass background checks and can be bonded, Ross said. Tag agents also receive training.
Prior bill was ignored One of Ellis’ pending appointees is a woman who operated a restaurant in Idabel. Ellis said the woman told him she was going broke in the restaurant business and was looking for a job.
Her application to be an agent is pending with the tax commission.
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