The Port Arthur Office Building. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)

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A decision to temporarily close the Port Arthur Tax Office has led to push back from local leaders who say the closure will place a burden on south county residents.

 

Port Arthur City Council on Wednesday will consider a resolution expressing their non-support of the closing and request the immediate reconsideration and reversal of the decision. Local leaders will also bring the issue to County Commissioners at the June 10 meeting. 

 

Port Arthur Newsmedia received the news release Thursday afternoon for the closure of the tax office from June 2 to Aug. 29, citing staffing challenges. The tax office is located in the Jefferson County Sub-courthouse, 525 Lakeshore Drive. 

 

A group, including Port Arthur pastors along with Justice of the Peace Joseph Guillory II and Jefferson County Precinct 3 Commissioner Michael Shane Sinegal, met Friday night at Mount Calvary Baptist Church to discuss the closure. 

 

Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bartie placed the resolution on the upcoming city council agenda in hopes a majority of members feel the same concern over the closure. 

 

The hope, he said, is to show their non-support of the tax assessor collector’s decision to close a “very effective office.” 

 

The decision was handed down by the Jefferson County Tax Assessor Collector Kate Carroll, who said closing the Port Arthur office was not an easy one to make.

 

Carroll was asked by Port Arthur Newsmedia to explain the staffing issue that necessitates the 90-day closure of the office. She said there are staffing issues at all three of the county tax offices and while they have continued to shift qualified personnel to those branches, we have continued to hire and train staff. 

 

“While the Port Arthur office stays busy, it only handles roughly 14% of our overall business. The decision to close the Port Arthur office was not an easy one,” Carroll said. “The Mid-County branch has nine working stations, three dealer stations, and a drive-through. It has handicap accommodations as there are no stairs or ramps to navigate. The Port Arthur office is ADA compliant, however, it is not as easy to navigate. At the Port Arthur office, we have one person out on FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), so we were already down on staffing. The choice was made to split our supervisors to the other locations to expedite the training program and have undivided attention for those being trained.”

 

Bartie scoffed at the data.

 

“To use unsubstantiated data to support her decision, I think is ludicrous,” Bartie said. “The decision is a slap to black, brown and white persons in Port Arthur.”

 

He believes staff were shuffled around, thus leaving the office downsized.

 

Port Arthur Newsmedia attempted to reach out to Commissioner Michael Shane Sinegal on Monday but was informed he was out of town. Bartie, who attended the Friday night meeting, said neither he nor Sinegal knew of the closure until they read the news release.

 

Jefferson County Democratic Chairman Joseph Trahan posted a message on social media regarding the Port Arthur office closure saying the move disrupts access to essential services for thousands of South County residents, especially seniors, individuals with disabilities, and working families. 

 

Trahan said staffing shortages and facility limitations may be the excuse but they do not come close to justifying the complete shutdown of services for an entire city. He called on the tax assessor collector to publicly commit to an interim plan that restores some level of in-person service to Port Arthur immediately. This could include staggered staffing or limited service hours on specific days, he said.

 

Carrol was asked if the temporary closure could become permanent. She said it was never her office’s goal to close the Port Arthur office permanently. 

 

“From day one, we have been planning to update the efficiency and effectiveness of the office by adding a queuing system, increasing the waiting area, and adding seating,” she said. 

 

To streamline efficiency and prepare for House Bill 718, the Mid County and Beaumont branches will serve the general public, automobile dealers and financial institutions at the following locations: Jefferson County Courthouse, 1149 Pearl St., Beaumont, or Mid County Tax Office, 4605 Jerry Ware Drive, Beaumont (near the Jack Brooks regional Airport). 

 

Beaumont and Mid-County branch locations are open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

 

You can also renew your vehicle registration at your local H-E-B or Kroger location’s customer service kiosk.  You may also renew at Mid-County Lube and Auto Repair or Eastex Lube Shop.

 

Carrol said once the Port Arthur office is reopened, all offices will be equipped to handle all aspects of the Tax office. We will continue to focus on the dealer work at the Mid County and Beaumont offices, where there are dedicated, fully trained and experienced teams in place.