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Indiana Department of Environmental Management Chief of Staff Kent Abernathy has been named commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. He will succeed Don Snemis, who will take on a new role with the Family and Social Services Administration. The announcement follows word from the bureau that around $1.7 million in additional overcharges will be refunded or credited to around 30,000 customers. February 2, 2015

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Governor Mike Pence today named Kent Abernathy as Commissioner for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). Abernathy currently serves as Chief of Staff at Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Current Commissioner Don Snemis will serve as Special Counsel for Program Integrity at Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) effective February 12, 2015.

“Don Snemis has led the Bureau of Motor Vehicles with great integrity as he worked over the past year to identify and solve problems that have existed within the agency for several years,” said Governor Pence. “I am confident that Kent Abernathy, with an extensive background in leadership positions in both the public and private sectors, will continue to implement these solutions and serve Hoosiers well as Commissioner for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.”

Upon completion of active military duty, serving as an officer in the U.S. Army, Abernathy began a career in business and finance. He served in the banking industry in New York City before returning to Indianapolis, where he served as Vice President of National City Bank (now PNC) and Vice President of Bank One (now JP Morgan Chase) before founding his own consulting business, Eagle Advisors in Carmel.

Abernathy returned to active duty in September 2003, serving in leadership positions at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and Baghdad, Iraq. He also served as interim Director of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Washington Liaison Office, under the command of the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, and later, under General David Petraeus. Abernathy retired from U.S. Army Reserve as a Colonel in March 2010, shortly after joining the administration of Governor Mitch Daniels as Chief of Staff for IDEM.

He received his Bachelor of Science at United States Military Academy (West Point), his Master of Science in Management at Oakland City University, and his Master of Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College.

Abernathy will begin his role on February 12, 2015.

Source: The Office of Governor Mike Pence

February 2, 2015

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Don Snemis, Commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) announced today a number of additional tax refunds and fee credits that will take place as a result work begun by the BMV and verified by its consultant, BKD, which has been handling the internal review of the BMV since their work started in October of 2014:

Delinquent fees for mobile and manufactured home titles. About 21,000 people were affected, and credits will total about $450,000.

Reinstatement fees paid by people who later proved they had insurance will be refunded. About 6,200 people are involved, and the total amount to be returned in about $1.2 million.

Miscellaneous fee credits and tax refunds will be issued for:

-Antique Motor Vehicle Excise Taxes

-Wheel taxes for a few vehicle types in Elkhart, Green and Henry Counties

-Corrected/amended amateur radio plates

-Corrected/amended antique year-of-manufacture plates

-Replacement off-road vehicle/snowmobile decals

-Photograph Fee

We anticipate that about 2,600 people were affected by these issues, and that credits and refunds will be about $26,000.

Finally, we are working on issues related to excise taxes for RVs and Motorcycles. We do not yet know the number of people affected or the amounts. Additional research is underway.

All of these actions are being done as part of the BKD assessment that is underway.

The BMV remains committed to finding and fixing all remaining errors and will issue refunds and credits as they are discovered. BKD’s assessment is expected to be complete by May 1, 2015.

Source: The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles

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