Tax collectors across Florida are raising concerns about persistent daily outages in the state’s motor vehicle system called ORION that prevents them from issuing driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, and conducting other essential services. Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano expressed extreme frustration with the recurring technical problems that began after the system was introduced in January and have escalated significantly in recent weeks. The outages cause customers to wait extended periods, sometimes over 40 minutes, and often leave offices unable to provide services at all. Multiple county tax collectors from Polk, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties report similar issues, with Polk County experiencing wait times jumping from 20 minutes to three hours. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles acknowledges ongoing performance issues but provides limited information to local offices, leaving front-line staff to deal with frustrated customers without adequate explanations. Tax collectors are calling for more transparency and communication from FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner, who they say has remained largely silent about the ongoing technical problems affecting services statewide. The situation highlights a breakdown in essential government services that impacts thousands of Florida residents daily who depend on these offices for vital documentation and registrations.
Florida Tax Collectors Criticize State Motor Vehicle System Outages
