Registrar Jerold A. Gnazzo Refuses Ernie Boch’s Solo Rental Offer Citing Ethical Concerns
The Registry of Motor Vehicles will not reopen a full-service branch in Norwood, Registrar Jerold A. Gnazzo said Thursday. But he is considering a “satellite office” to cater to AutoMile car dealers, who would help pay for the service. Gnazzo made the comments in an interview after a breakfast meeting Thursday with Route 1 car dealers.
The session was organized by dealer Ernie Boch. The Registry branch in Norwood was closed May 1, a victim of state budget cuts. Since then, area residents have had to go to the Quincy, Brockton, or North Attleboro branches. And car dealers claim that they face a longer wait to register new cars and must pay higher fees to the companies that handle their bulk transactions.
Gnazzo said he and the AutoMile dealers were breaking new ground in forging a partnership between private business and the Registry. Gnazzo came to Norwood to see whether AutoMile dealers would be willing to pay the state rent for office space in the town-owned Civic Center on Nahatan Street in Norwood Center. But he didn’t get a firm offer there. “There was a lot of interest,” he said, “but no commitment.”
Gnazzo initially said that a satellite office would be designed for the car dealers. Asked if that meant the office would benefit only the dealers and not the public, he amended his statement but remained vague. “We’ll consider making it easier for the general populace,” he said, declining to say what services would be provided for motorists. “Until the budget is firm, I don’t know what we have to work with.”
Gnazzo said it would be “some time” before any action was taken regarding a satellite office. Last month, Boch offered to pay the state’s yearly rent of $16,500 to keep the Registry in town. But Gnazzo flatly refused, saying he had ethical questions about allowing one dealer to foot the bill.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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