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Ë®¹ûÅÉAV received an email questioning whether Chris Petrus, the Republican candidate for county clerk, wants to get rid of the DMV office. Brian Scanlan, the Democratic candidate for clerk, on social media.Ìý

Kristine Lytle, the Conservative candidate for clerk, is a longtime DMV employee.Ìý

Will Petrus get rid of the DMV? 

In response to the rumor and questions about his stance, Ë®¹ûÅÉAV contacted Petrus for comment.Ìý

"I never said such nonsense," he said.Ìý

The rumor surfaced a day after Petrus sat down with Ë®¹ûÅÉAV as part of the "Conversation with the Candidates" series. During that interview, he discussed ideas for continuing the DMV's customer service. At no point did he say he would eliminate the office.Ìý

Does Scanlan support dumping the DMV? 

With the rumor circulating this week, Scanlan's campaign addressed the topic in a .Ìý

"Brian has NO intention of closing our local DMV office in Auburn once elected," the campaign wrote. "In fact, he is involved in conversations to EXPAND (its) services and to make it MORE ACCESSIBLE to the residents of Cayuga County." 

The post continues, "Brian knows and understands the importance of keeping our local DMV and he (will work) tirelessly for the people to maintain and expand (its) services." 

The version of the rumor shared with Ë®¹ûÅÉAV did not include Scanlan.Ìý

What is Lytle's stance? 

Lytle has been in a supervisory role at the DMV for 13 years. As she campaigns for county clerk, she has touted her experience in one of the offices that the clerk oversees.Ìý

She would not eliminate the DMV if elected county clerk. Throughout her campaign, she has discussed expanding the services offered by the office.Ìý

The law

One problem with this rumor is that it ignores state law.Ìý

Under , county clerks are required to be agents of the state DMV commissioner. There are some exceptions — for example, the state operates DMV offices in Onondaga County.Ìý

In Cayuga County, the clerk must maintain a DMV office to register vehicles and provide other services.Ìý

Conclusion

None of the candidates for county clerk want to ditch the DMV office. Lytle, Petrus and Scanlan have ideas to bolster the services offered by the DMV. They want to build on the office's success, not get rid of it.Ìý

Even if they wanted to eliminate the local DMV office, it's not a decision they could make on their own. State law requires the clerk in Cayuga, among other counties, to oversee local DMV services. Unless the state says otherwise, the clerk must handle these duties.Ìý