The House Oversight Committee kicked off a comprehensive agenda of basic questions for state agencies on February 27.

Up first were the Department of Revenue Secretary-designee McKinley Wooten, Jr., and State Budget Director Kristin Walker in the morning hearing, and Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and Department of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins in the afternoon.

DOR: Measuring customer service in speed

Department of Revenue Secretary-designee McKinley Wooten said the agency aims to deliver refunds as quickly as possible. Co-Chair Brenden Jones (R-Columbus) emphasized that that also meant collecting taxes with minimal inconvenience. Wooten touted the department’s customer service and said it measures satisfaction through customer surveys.

Upon questioning from Rep. Brian Echevarria (R-Cabarrus), Wooten distanced DOR under his administration from its strategic plan for the 2023-25 biennium. “That was the strategic plan from the last administration that we will update for this new that we have not done yet,” Wooten said, adding that “it was DEI practices that were encouraged, and there was not a DEI program that was created in the department.” He also pointed out that the agency does not use diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards in hiring and does not require DEI training.  

OSBM: Accountability for agency spending and outcomes

State Budget Director Kristin Walker said OSBM’s primary task is to maintain a balanced budget for state government. She spoke in broad terms about how the office accomplishes this task.

On the accountability front, every agency either uses OSBM internal auditors or OSBM training for its own internal auditors. Beyond that is a “coalition of the willing” who seek program evaluations through OSBM. For itself, OSBM has an internal dashboard for individual performance.

Walker reported that OSBM has complied with “mandatory” Office of State Human Resources DEI trainings and aims to hire the best and brightest for all positions.

DMV: Preparing for new leadership

A day after he announced he would not try to keep his job, DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin faced another round of grilling over issues that have plagued his tenure—questionable decisions on operating practices, wait-time measures, contracting, and legislative requests. To the frustration of more than one member, Goodwin reiterated his desire for DMV to be as efficient as the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA).

Rep. Grant Campbell (R-Cabarrus) asked if the problem at DMV was about work culture. Though Goodwin addressed leadership in his response and stated a reluctance to “disparage” staff, he did not seem to view work culture as a reflection of agency leadership.

Channeling the frustration of other legislators and many other people across North Carolina, Co-Chair Jake Johnson (R-Polk) suggested moving DMV from the Department of Transportation. “The reality is it’s not getting better,” he said. “We’ve got a stack of archived emails that … folks are not happy. I think it’s time we look at some drastic changes.”

DOT: Helene and measures

After the fireworks of DMV, Hopkins and committee members spoke mostly about the damage from Helene and DOT’s work to get western North Carolina moving again. Among the highlights was the reopening of I-40 to Tennessee, at reduced capacity and speeds.

Hopkins listed statistical measures and methods the agency uses to gauge public opinion of DOT’s work.

Up Next

The House Oversight Committee will continue to ask state agencies about their key results for North Carolina in its next hearing, Thursday, March 13.