Cheapskate legislature underfunds North Carolina’s DMV

The Bottom Line from NC Newsline

Customers wait their turn at a DMV Tag & Title Agency office in Wake County. NCDMV officials hope modernizing the system and moving more services online in the future can reduce wait times. (Photo: Clayton Henkel)

For newcomers, it may be hard to believe, but there was a time in North Carolina in which heading to the local DMV office wasn’t a maddening and tortuous exercise.

Unfortunately, that’s changed in most places. Today, walk-up customers almost always face long lines, and it can take weeks to find an appointment slot online.

As is the case with so many basic public services in our state, however, the source of the problem is no mystery; it’s our cheapskate legislature.

Despite massive population growth in recent decades, Republican legislative leaders have repeatedly underfunded the agency and even maintained a freeze on hiring new license examiners.

And it’s a downright absurd situation.

Motor vehicle regulation is a core government function for which North Carolinians are entitled to prompt and courteous service in pleasant facilities from employees who aren’t stressed and frazzled.

The bottom line: The cost to fix the problems at DMV by funding it adequately amounts to a pittance in the total state budget. The legislature’s ongoing failure to address the issue is utterly irresponsible.

For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.