DMV chief Goodwin absorbs complaints, but also should get credit | Opinion

Republican state lawmakers – who think the smaller the government, the better – also think the state Division of Motor Vehicles should run like clockwork.

Or, rather, their constituents think it should. When it doesn’t, they complain and Republicans call in DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin for a public scolding.

Goodwin, a former state lawmaker, state insurance commissioner and chairman of the state Democratic Party, is experienced at fielding complaints from constituents, consumers and candidates, but heading the DMV involves a different level of discontent.

“It’s certainly the hot seat,” Goodwin told me. “The DMV has been a perennial piñata in this state, but that’s the case in every state.”

Ironically, the typical boredom of the DMV experience has been fodder for entertainment. ”If you go to any sitcom, or even a drama on TV or the movies, there’s always a DMV plot line involving lines and wait times,” Goodwin said.

Now that show has moved into the legislature’s hearing rooms. Goodwin has twice been called before committees this year to explain lapses in DMV services. His second appearance came last week before the state House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing. Lawmakers wanted to know why 350,000 licenses and identification cards had been delayed for close to two months. The answer is complicated and involves a computer glitch, but the issue has been resolved and the DMV is turning to a new vendor to produce driver’s licenses.

What’s unfortunate about these DMV episodes is that Goodwin is getting the blame for conditions beyond his control and not getting credit for improvements in how his agency operates.

A native of Hamlet, a Morehead Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill and a graduate of UNC Law School, Goodwin has been a strong public servant for North Carolina. He was a young and energetic lawmaker and a consistent advocate for consumers as insurance commissioner. He was willing to take on the thankless task of leading the high-profile and underfunded DMV amid soaring state employee vacancies and complex technical transitions that must occur without a disruption in regular service.

Goodwin, who grew up in a mobile home working on his parents’ vegetable farm, is undaunted by the pressures that go with being the face of the DMV.

“I’ve said in speeches that this is the third hardest job I’ve ever had,” he said. “My first job was working on the farm when I was a kid down in Richmond County, the second hardest job was when I was the assistant to the janitor at a junior high school for a year. You think the janitor has a tough job, the assistant to the janitor has a tougher job.”

At the DMV, he said, his job “Really comes down to solving problems, trying to help people solve problems and it’s quite a challenge.”

Helping people is becoming a bigger challenge for the DMV because there are so many more customers and not enough employees. Since 2004, the state’s population has grown by 2.4 million, but the DMV, because of budget constraints, has added only four license examiners.

Democratic lawmakers have pushed for more funding for the agency. Following Goodwin’s testimony last week, House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said in a statement, “As North Carolina’s population grows, policymakers must prioritize adequate funding for the DMV to meet residents’ rapidly increasing demand, not getting distracted by vendor issues or technology hiccups.”

Nonetheless, the agency has made significant improvements under Goodwin. A 30 percent vacancy rate has been reduced to 12 percent thanks to hiring and retention bonuses. Customers have more online options for basic services. Wait times have been reduced. “Our team has done a tremendous job behind the scenes,” Goodwin said.

But trying to serve the public well when an agency lacks resources is a grind.

When I asked Goodwin his age, he said, “I’m 57. Some days I feel older.”