A conversation with NC’s new DMV commissioner | Under the Dome podcast
It would seem that Paul Tine has one of the least desirable jobs in state government. As the new Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner, Tine oversees an agency most people dread dealing with.
But Tine says the challenge of improving the DMV and eliminating the long lines and wait times at driver’s license offices is what attracted him to the job.
Good morning, and welcome to The News & Observer’s Under the Dome newsletter. I’m transportation reporter Richard Stradling.
Our newsletter on Tuesdays is a preview of the new episode of our Under the Dome podcast that posted this morning on all podcast platforms. This week, we hear the conversation I had with Tine on May 9, four days after he started as commissioner.
Tine owns an insurance agency in Dare County and represented Dare, Hyde, Washington and part of Beaufort counties in the state House for two terms, ending in 2016. He was elected twice as a Democrat, but left the party in his second term and joined the Republican House Caucus as an unaffiliated legislator. He served as co-chair of the House Transportation Appropriations Committee and as a member of the Joint Transportation Oversight Committee.
Tine will draw on that experience and his relationships in the General Assembly as he seeks support for changes at the DMV. That includes money to hire additional license examiners and open new offices to try to keep up with the state’s growing population.
We talked about the challenges Tine faces and why he considers DMV commissioner a great job.
Where to listen
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Thanks for reading, and listening. If you are a lawmaker or work in state government, politics or policy and are interested in being a podcast guest or have topic recommendations, email Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan at dvaughan@newsobserver.com.
