How easy/hard is it to work with government offices that serve the public in NM? (Albuquerque: car registration, how much)
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I've been on c-d now for a couple years looking to move from the Pacific Northwest and have been exploring numerous areas. I keep coming back to NM and ABQ. We visited ABQ area 3 times and like it very much for a number of reasons.
However, I've read many threads old and new, and I see themes that seem to continue. It seems the core infrastructure that provides government services may not be particularly well-supported due to lack of funds or perhaps other reasons.
These things make me wonder what it would be like to live in ABQ and have to work with county offices on things like getting building permits or the assessor's office or DMV on things I've taken for granted as run of the mill, where the city, county, and state workers are readily available, helpful, and knowledgeable.
Question:
If you've moved from a richer state to NM, what has been your experience when you've had to work with government offices in NM compared to the state you left behind?
and/or
If you've moved from NM to a richer state, do you see a difference in availability, efficiency, ease, and helpful employees in your new state compared to what you left behind in NM?
My wife was a Federal Employee in the Washington D.C. area and an opening became available in the Albuquerque area which included moving expenses and a promotion. She took the position and worked in the Albuquerque area past retirement...
That is how we managed to move here in this case. I had been in the New Mexico area several times in the past.
I moved here from Alabama five years ago. (Not saying Alabama is a rich state, but it's richer than New Mexico). The most common government interface for most people is the MVD (that's what the DMV is called here). I find the NM system to be vastly superior to Alabama's. Both are very busy, but NM manages to handle it all with a "take a number" system so you can wait, seated, until your turn (In Alabama you're standing in a snaking line for as long as it takes). In NM you are then called fairly quickly to a single screening desk where they make sure you have all the documents you need, which keeps you from waiting a long time only to find out you are missing something (I had this happen in Alabama more than once). In NM your new title is printed out at the counter (in Alabama, as of five years ago, it was mailed to you weeks later). And if all of that isn't efficient enough for you, there is MVD Express, which is a private company that will do all the MVD tasks for you. It's usually less crowded, and quicker, but you pay an extra fee.
Voting is also more streamlined in NM. Anybody can vote at any location. When they log you in, the appropriate ballot is printed for you then and there. Compare to Alabama where you need to vote at your specified polling place because that's the only place where your specific ballots will be (of course this could have changed in 5 years).
Other things like permits, business licenses, etc. will be dependent on where you live. I recently had to file a deed in Bernalillo County and it was very simple.
I've been in ABQ a year and I've been impressed with the folks who work on the streets and utilities. They seem to get in and out with a minimum of fuss when repairs are needed.
If you need to interface with more in-depth public services, like child and family services, or any sort of support services, it may not be as friendly or as responsive as you'd like. This is mainly because it is a poor state, those jobs don't pay well, and those agencies are never fully staffed because of the first two things.
Thank you, jakabedy - good detailed info. This is exactly what I was looking for - the stuff you have to do at times and how efficient it is, how easy to just do the regular duties of living in a place - like registering a car or getting your driver's license after moving to the new place.
On an earlier post, I read about a person having a nightmare experience just trying to register his car after moving to NM. Apparently, the DMV was open only a couple days a week, and the best thing to do was to pay some independent private business that took care of your DMV duties because they knew how to work within the very difficult system. I thought it was in ABQ. Clearly, things have been ironed out.
It's comforting to hear you've had good experiences. I'd be moving to Bernalillo county, so that's even better. With luck, I'll never have to work within CPS or need Aid government services.. I suspect those departments are always difficult and disheartening no matter where you are. As for the road workers, while we were there, we saw things similar to what you describe. Again, great to have your corroboration on what we saw and then hear you tell us your other experiences were just fine.
All I can tell you, is that the Santa Fe DMV is the most efficient one I've ever been to! I'm amazed. NM supposedly is a poor state, so you'd think it would be understaffed, but it's not. I suspect that's because they've combined several functions into one office: ID/Drivers' Licenses plus car registration. Some states have two separate office buildings for that. Anyway, it's a wonder to behold, IMO. CA is considered to be a wealthy state, but the DMV is nightmarish.
All I can tell you, is that the Santa Fe DMV is the most efficient one I've ever been to! I'm amazed. NM supposedly is a poor state, so you'd think it would be understaffed, but it's not. I suspect that's because they've combined several functions into one office: ID/Drivers' Licenses plus car registration. Some states have two separate office buildings for that. Anyway, it's a wonder to behold, IMO. CA is considered to be a wealthy state, but the DMV is nightmarish.
Thanks, Ruth! It's lovely to hear the SF DMV runs so well, which leads me to surmise other DMVs in the state, esp ABQ, would be similar, and other county offices as well, perhaps. On my 3 visits, I was pleasantly surprised at pretty much everything. Yeah, OK, so the area around the airport did have some unsavory stuff that I didn't seen elsewhere, but maybe I just never went to areas people were talking about, primarily the panhandling and homeless areas. What we did on our visits was pretend we lived there and went to the stores and buildings we'd likely frequent regularly. We drove at morning and evening commute times, went to stores like Costco on Saturday afternoon, checked out libraries, bookstores, specialty and regular grocery stores, malls, things like that.
Oh, and Meow Wolf! What a discovery. Any region where that place can be conceived of, manifested, and remain in business has got to have something special at its core, and the other less savory stuff has to be a more superficial representation of what the true feel and culture actually is.
And yeah, the CA DMVs were a nightmare. I've long wondered about why working in CA county offices was so hard, and I've concluded it's because their infrastructure is so overtaxed with population that it doesn't matter how much money you throw at it, when you've got scads and scads of people coming out of the woodwork, at all hours, nothing can pleasantly accommodate that kind of demand.
I don't have experience in other states but I have set up several business in Albuquerque.
Filing LLC paperwork with the state - proper items were sent back within 1-3 weeks.
Filing and obtaining tax certificate from the state - received certificate the same day (nothing complicated like alcohol, tobacco or food sales).
File and obtain business permit from the City of Albuquerque - received permit the same day, again nothing complicated and no zoning or building permits. They currently want people to register businesses online. If your business is not 'approved' within 48 hours go in to the office, or just go there to begin with.
Albuquerque is the financial and business hub of New Mexico and the city is generally pretty easy to work with in my experience. If you are going to a small town somewhere your experience will vary.
I've been to the DMV in Albuquerque several times for license renewal, never took more than 1 hour.
Thanks, Ruth! It's lovely to hear the SF DMV runs so well, which leads me to surmise other DMVs in the state, esp ABQ, would be similar, and other county offices as well, perhaps. On my 3 visits, I was pleasantly surprised at pretty much everything. Yeah, OK, so the area around the airport did have some unsavory stuff that I didn't seen elsewhere, but maybe I just never went to areas people were talking about, primarily the panhandling and homeless areas. What we did on our visits was pretend we lived there and went to the stores and buildings we'd likely frequent regularly. We drove at morning and evening commute times, went to stores like Costco on Saturday afternoon, checked out libraries, bookstores, specialty and regular grocery stores, malls, things like that.
Oh, and Meow Wolf! What a discovery. Any region where that place can be conceived of, manifested, and remain in business has got to have something special at its core, and the other less savory stuff has to be a more superficial representation of what the true feel and culture actually is.
And yeah, the CA DMVs were a nightmare. I've long wondered about why working in CA county offices was so hard, and I've concluded it's because their infrastructure is so overtaxed with population that it doesn't matter how much money you throw at it, when you've got scads and scads of people coming out of the woodwork, at all hours, nothing can pleasantly accommodate that kind of demand.
Haha, yeah, IDK about CA public employees. I've been to post offices in the Bay Area, where there are lo-o-ng lines, two windows open, and the staff were too busy chatting with each other, to serve anyone in line. True story. Unbelievable. And nobody said a peep; no one in line told them to get it moving, or anything. This was during a pre-Xmas rush, in one case.
Business license and biz tax stuff is also handled very efficiently in SF, just fyi. Utilities may be a different matter; it's the luck of the draw, when you set up a new account. SF has 3 libraries; the best ones are in the neighborhoods, not downtown. Well, they're all well run, but the downtown one's public computer section is taken over by homeless people, and is crowded, unlike the other two.
I don't have experience in other states but I have set up several business in Albuquerque.
Filing LLC paperwork with the state - proper items were sent back within 1-3 weeks.
Filing and obtaining tax certificate from the state - received certificate the same day (nothing complicated like alcohol, tobacco or food sales).
File and obtain business permit from the City of Albuquerque - received permit the same day, again nothing complicated and no zoning or building permits. They currently want people to register businesses online. If your business is not 'approved' within 48 hours go in to the office, or just go there to begin with.
Albuquerque is the financial and business hub of New Mexico and the city is generally pretty easy to work with in my experience. If you are going to a small town somewhere your experience will vary.
I've been to the DMV in Albuquerque several times for license renewal, never took more than 1 hour.
FunkyMonkey, thanks!
Excellent details that further reassure me. It sounds like your average business with the county, city, and state government offices accommodates the public quite well. I sure wouldn't complain with any of the time frames you mention above.
I'm getting info I didn't think I'd get. I thought I'd get a lot of nightmare experiences, people anxious to share their horror stories. The fact that no one is sharing leads me to think there are few horror stories. We tend to want to express when we're unhappy but forget to praise when we're happy. I'm really encouraged!
Haha, yeah, IDK about CA public employees. I've been to post offices in the Bay Area, where there are lo-o-ng lines, two windows open, and the staff were too busy chatting with each other, to serve anyone in line. True story. Unbelievable. And nobody said a peep; no one in line told them to get it moving, or anything. This was during a pre-Xmas rush, in one case.
Business license and biz tax stuff is also handled very efficiently in SF, just fyi. Utilities may be a different matter; it's the luck of the draw, when you set up a new account. SF has 3 libraries; the best ones are in the neighborhoods, not downtown. Well, they're all well run, but the downtown one's public computer section is taken over by homeless people, and is crowded, unlike the other two.
Oh, yeah, post offices - those are places that can try you to the ends of your nerves. Aiee-ah - I forgot to go to a post office in ABQ while there. I knew I'd miss something.
Utilities, well, that's become a nightmare just about anywhere you go, I think, what with internet and cable attached now. It's like they're all unregulated cell-phone companies that don't have any accountability requirements, and they jack you around here and there. You are totally at their mercy. Maybe NM is the exception to the rule.
And you know, I think ALL downtown libraries struggle with the same problems, and even some non-downtown libraries, in fact. I live near a small town, and that library has changed dramatically in the last couple years, so much so that it resembles a big-city downtown library with all its usual problems. The times are a-changing, like always.
Great details, again. Thanks so much!
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