Maplewood DMV closes after city council vote

The Maplewood DMV and passport services center has permanently closed following a city council vote Monday night.

Maplewood Mayor Marylee Adams said in a statement that seven employees were laid off, including part-time staff. The city provided “fair severance packages” to staff impacted by the closure, the mayor said.

The city says the facilities have lost more than a million dollars in the last five years, adding that state reimbursements didn’t keep pace with the transactions taking place, including processing REAL IDs. 

“Serving as the mayor of Maplewood means sometimes I must make difficult decisions,” Mayor Adams said. “Voting to close the DMV was a tough one, but I know it was the right decision for Maplewood.”

A 2% yearly property tax increase would have been necessary to keep the facility open, but city leadership decided to close it instead.

Mayor Adams shared a recording of her full statement that was read during the city council meeting.