Interesting column in the News & Observer by Rob Christensen wondering if it’s time to mover state government out of Raleigh—well, at least some of it:
The Department of Administration is directed to seek office space for DMV in “Wake County and surrounding counties.”
The move is a long time coming, because the building needs to be replaced.
But it also offers state leaders a chance to move the 479 full-time jobs and 50 part-time jobs to more rural areas that are not experiencing the Triangle’s hot growth.
Why not move DMV to Rocky Mount, Wilson, Goldsboro, or Sanford, or other towns where the offices could make a major economic impact — and yet would be within commuting distance for people now working for DMV in Raleigh?
This is not an original idea. A recent report about the growing urban/rural disparity by the Brookings Institute, the Washington-based think tank, suggested that the federal government look for ways to move more federal agencies and facilities out of prosperous Washington, D.C., into more rural sections of the country.
Interesting idea, though I’m wondering what kind of economic impact it could really have on towns like Wilson and Sanford, while meantime placing a burden—increased mileage, time away from family, etc.— on workers forced to commute.
