Satellite license, tax office opening in Madison

The Madison County Commission voted Aug. 13 to purchase Oh! Bryan’s Family Steakhouse in Madison for $1.5 million, and turn the building into a satellite office that will house the county license commissioner, tax collector and tax assessor.

The vote will allow Chairman Mike Gillespie to sign a contract for the building off Browns Ferry Road.

County License Commissioner Mark Craig said the new office could be open by October or November.

“We are definitely going to push it as fast as possible,” said Craig.

Craig said the new office will offer driver’s license tests, giving the county a second location in addition to the state trooper office on Church Street in Huntsville.

“That will be a tremendous help,” Craig said of the new trooper post.

Since the Madison satellite office closed in April, Craig said the volume of people at the other offices has rapidly increased.

“The Madison office was the second largest office, next to the courthouse,” Craig said. “With it being closed, those people had to go someone else.”

At the new office, residents can also obtain automobile, hunting and fishing licenses, auto tag transfers, new resident vehicle registration and titles, and boat registration, in addition to taking care of tax requirements.