Accepting a prestigious state-level award was a bittersweet occasion as Tax Assessor/Collector Tommy Smyth emotionally noted the team that worked to earn the award for the past six months was “one short.”
Shawn Marie Ramon, an assistant Department of Motor Vehicles supervisor with the Wichita County tax office and 10-year county employee, died earlier this month in a tragic car accident.
Ramon, Smyth said, was a big part of the team that earned the county this award.
Representatives from the Texas DMV presented the Performance Quality Recognition Program silver-level award to Smyth and his team Monday morning during a Wichita County Commissioners’ Court meeting.
Earning this award was a collective effort, Smyth said, quoting a co-worker who stated an “I formation” might be good for football, but you need a “we formation” for public service.
The county tax office is one of only three offices (out of 254 county DMV offices) in the state to receive a silver-level award, and this is the first time this office has been accredited for its operational performance and business practices.
This is also the first Wichita County office to be recognized by a state regulatory agency for best business practices.
Smyth said he was proud to have his team receive this recognition of their accomplishments stemming, in reality, from years of work since 2010.
The PRQ program involves an in-depth analysis of a tax office’s use of effective and efficient practices, looks for a demonstrated commitment toward completing proper motor vehicle transactions and excellent customer service.
“The Texas DMV uses the PRQ to recognize county tax assessor-collectors that go above and beyond in complying with Texas laws, agency rules and exceeding expected customer service and have established standards for uniformity and service quality for its citizens,” Smyth said.
Some of the levels of performance evaluation include business process, fraud prevention, customer service and training.
The tax office submitted applications for both the bronze and silver awards in October 2017.
“For the better part of the last six months, there has been an extensive review of our office operations being in compliance with no less than 34 performance benchmarks that are specific to meeting the criteria of the aforementioned categories for both Bronze and Silver Level Recognition," Smyth said.
"We are in the midst and on track for the completion of our Gold Level Recognition."
He said his great staff, “are to be thanked for the level of positive engagement they have with our citizens, which simply perpetuates an operational culture that fosters and promotes a better customer experience.”