Military Dependants in Colorado (Fort Carson: contractors, DMV, taxes)

[sjboylen]

This letter was written and emailed to the EL PASO COUNTY CLERKS OFFICE on 04/13/2007. I've posted it here to inform all active duty military and their spouse's that in Colorado if a military spouse chooses to register to vote, their Active Duty Military Soldier cannot claim non-residency when applying for auto tags.

Dear Mr. Balink,

My Name is S. Boylen, I am a Military dependant here Colorado. My wife is an active duty soldier. Today my wife and I went to register our vechicle and were told that it would cost $438.00 DOLLARS as opposed to $38.00 DOLLARS for the tags because I chose to register to vote when I renewed my drivers license. So basically what I did was screw my wife over by registering to vote in the state of Colorado, because now she's unable exercise her non-residency rights for one full year. Today I visited the El Paso County web site and it does state the guidelines in order to claim non-residency, but thats not doing me or my family any good now because she still has to wait a full year for the withdrawl of voters registration to take effect. I think the state of Colorado should be ashamed of itself for putting Active duty service members through a bunch of crap in order to drive in this state. If the associates working at the DMV would have informed me that by registering to vote in this state it was going to cost my family $438.00 Dollars I would have told her thanks, but no thanks. I also feel that with all the active duty military in Colorado we are pumping millions into this economy and Colorado should be grateful for that. Instead, Colorado is trying to milk the active duty soldiers for every dime they have.

__________________________________________________

[sskkc]

Navy wife here.

I register to vote in and as required by law, I also get a local driver's license each time we change states. My husband does not though... his license does not expire for as long as he's on active duty, and he absentee votes. One of our cars are registered in FL (his official state of residence), and the one we bought here is registered here (in my name, not his). One thing I've found to make all the paperwork easier is to keep those things listed only in one name... I'm all about making things easier on myself.

I would suggest that this person, or anyone else effected by this type of situation notify the command. I'm sure this person's not the first to find themselves in this situation. They may have a way to help, but this may also have to be chalked up to experience. Next time, this spouse will do the research necessary beforehand, I'm sure.

That said, every military spouse should know it is their responsibility to find out the laws at each new command. Classes are set up, but no one's going to (nor should they) chase you down and make you learn all you ought to know. There is an abundance of information available through militaryonesource.com. In the Navy, we have ombudsman (sometimes). If there's not an ombudsman or it's equal near you, seek out the Chaplain. They're not only nicer than "paperwork pushers", but they usually get you answers quicker.

[Mike from back east]

As I recall from working for the Army on the AKO project, spouses are entitled to have an AKO account. AKO is the Army's intranet and has about two million accounts on it. It is mandatory for all Army active duty, Guard and Reserve personnel, and is optional for spouses. It is mandatory for all Army civilian employees. Career retirees are allowed to maintain a retiree account. There is NO CHARGE for AKO accounts. It is at: https://www.us.army.mil/ There are versions for each military service (USN, USMC, USAF) and someday it should be just one big DoD system.

AKO is NOT open to the public. The Army has a separate website for the general public, http://www.army.mil/

AKO is an unclassified email and files system for use within the Army by Army personnel, spouses, retirees, civilian employees and contractors with a "need to know." It may be accessed from anywhere, via a password process. It has a million uses. Soldiers can even make medical/dental appointments via AKO. We were very proud of our accomplishments with AKO, and I'm sure they still are back their at Belvoir where they build and run it.

Yes, there is a classified version of AKO, a whole different creature, not to be discussed here.

Any Army spouse may have an account and access AKO to find info about future duty stations. There are open forums where people can ask questions on any topic, just like here. Hindsight being easy, its entirely possible to have gone onto AKO, asked about taxes, tags, voting or whatever in CO (or any duty station you're headed to) at any time in the process, even after getting to Carson. People may ask about these, or any other topic, in open forums, or directly to a JAG, AG, Personnel or relocation office at a new duty site. This sort of info is not a new topic for them or for soldiers, the Knowledge is out there.

One of the key critical lofty purposes of AKO (Army Knowledge Online) is to make what we already know available to those who need to know it, without re-inventing the wheel. Unfortunately, you painfully and expensively re-invented the wheel as far as "how does someone best deal with taxes and motor vehicle costs when PCS'ing to Fort Carson, CO." I can assure that countless thousands of others have faced the same issue.

Thousands more are due to relocate here to Carson this summer. Hopefully, personnel will use AKO to pass good info onto each other...which is very much the same concept as "watch my back" in actual field ops in Iraq.

It was a constant and painful on-going fight on the Army Staff in the Pentagon for the funding to build and run AKO. And it pains me that people don't use it to their best advantage. It is YOUR system to use.

s/Mike from back east
Retired Army Civilian Employee (RACE)

[sjboylen]

I've gotten 2 replys in reference to my experience at the tax office. I know the information is out there some where in reference to this perticular situation with non residency status and voters regististration for military spouse. My gripe is that when you walk into a DMV office and the employees their ask military spouses if they want to register to vote...99% are going to say yes i would like to register, not thinking that when their spouse has to register their car they wont be able to claim non residency. The military spouses she be informed at the DMV about the consequences of registering to vote in the state of Colorado.

[sskkc]

I see your frustration, and it totally sucks. Like I stated, have your wife check with her command or company chaplain. I doubt that anything can be done now, after the fact, but perhaps your experience will help the next family.

[sjboylen]

Dear sskkc,

In my case our bank is willing to remove me(the dependant)from our car title so that we wont have to pay that outrageous amount. Some peoples banks wont be so understanding. My hopes is that by letting active military and theirs spouse know what can happen at the DMV's her in Colorado it will save them the hassel.