Last modified: Saturday, July 11, 2009 5:42 AM EDT State Sen. Marc Pacheco Poltical pressure cost North registry office By Jim Hand Sun Chronicle staff NORTH ATTLEBORO - Local legislators say politics, rather than policy, is behind the closing of the North Attleboro office of the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The lawmakers said Friday the Taunton registry office was originally supposed to close because of budget cuts, instead of the North Attleboro branch, but state Sen. Marc Pacheco, D-Taunton, intervened and saved his hometown branch. "I have heard Sen. Pacheco pressured the Registry of Motor Vehicles," said state Rep. Bill Bowles, D-Attleboro. Other members of the local delegation agree. "It's a shame politics should have to come into play," said state Rep. Richard Ross, R-Wrentham. State Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, also said he understands Pacheco "pressured" the registry to save the Taunton office, which resulted in North Attleboro being designated for closure. Pacheco said in an interview that all he did was what any good legislator does - and that is fight for his district. "I guess they're accusing me of being good at my job," he said. "That's what you do as a legislator, you advocate for your district. Everyone across the state did the same thing." Pacheco said he made the case to the registry that Taunton is centrally located and should remain open. "It's in the heart of Bristol County. It's the county seat," he said. He also said Taunton is larger than North Attleboro and the Taunton office is one of only four in the state with a special program for taking care of business with auto dealerships. Pacheco said he does not want the North Attleboro branch to close. He said all registry offices should remain open because they provide a valuable service to taxpayers. Pacheco said he was one of a handful of Democratic senators to vote against the state budget because of the cuts to various services. Local legislators said the North Attleboro office should remain open because it has more employees and serves more customers than Taunton. State Rep. Betty Poirier, R-North Attleboro, said Taunton is mid-way between North Attleboro and Brockton, making it a more logical candidate for closure. Apparently political lobbying was involved in at least one other registry closure decision. State Transportation Secretary James Aloisi told The Berkshire Eagle Thursday that an office in North Adams was on a list for closure until the administration heard from North Adams Mayor John Barrett and state Rep. Daniel Bosley, D-North Adams. Aloisi said he agreed with them that the North Adams branch should remain open. Local legislators will try a little political pressure of their own when they meet with Registrar Rachel Kaprielian to try to convince her to reverse her decision on North Attleboro. The Legislature mandated that the state close 12 registry branches when it passed the budget last month and cut spending in several areas. It was left to Kaprielian to decide which offices to close. She said she was closing offices in privately owned buildings to save $1.7 million in rent payments.