The Bureau of Motor Vehicles office in Gahanna is scheduled to reopen on July 21 after closing abruptly on April 18.
The BMV closed when the former deputy registrar left the position earlier than scheduled and did not give the state a required 90-day notice. That contract was set to expire on June 30.
The closure forced people to visit other BMVs in the area, which has resulted in longer wait times. An employee at the Westerville BMV said that since the Gahanna branch closed, they’ve seen an increase in the number of people at their branch.
“Any time there is a temporary closure of a BMV facility, the license agencies in surrounding areas see an increase in customer volume and corresponding wait times,” said Lindsey Bohrer from the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
The new deputy registrar is Lolita Walker, who was chosen through an open competitive process. Walker currently works as the assistant manager at Newark's BMV.
“We are glad that this community resource will be available again in Gahanna,” Bohrer said.