Hartford — Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Andres Ayala Jr. is stepping down following various problems with a computer system upgrade.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who appointed the former Bridgeport state senator and social studies teacher in December 2014, said Wednesday he appreciated "all the work he's done in so many different capacities both at the local and state levels."

Malloy thanked Ayala "for his service and for his unwavering dedication to improving our state."

Ayala recently announced that the agency would temporarily stop forwarding to police lists of motorists whose vehicle registrations have been suspended due to lack of insurance.

Ayala said some registrations were wrongly suspended due to the computer upgrade.

The upgrade, unveiled in August, has also led to lengthy wait times at DMV offices.

The computer upgrade also has disrupted municipal motor vehicle records throughout the state on the eve of the Jan. 31 deadline for compiling grand lists of taxable property.

Commercial truck fleets and school bus fleets were being assigned to corporate company headquarters rather than local facilities where they are supposed to be taxed, and other vehicles, including leased vehicles, were assigned to incorrect addresses.

Norwich Assessor Donna Ralston was among municipal assessors who met with the commissioner Wednesday morning just prior to his resignation announcement.

"I was shocked too. The commissioner had a poker face, and never let on about the resignation," Ralston said this afternoon.

She said following the meeting with Ayala, assessors and representatives from two software companies that provide programs to compile grand lists were directed into a nearby room to discuss possible solutions to the motor vehicle records when one of the participants received a cellphone text news media alert announcing Ayala's resignation.