News & Observer reports more than half of Division of Motor Vehicles workers polled (that’s important) say they will not make the move if the division sets up shop in Rocky Mount as proposed.
More than 400 Division of Motor Vehicles employees were asked about their plans to remain with the DMV after the move, and 255 responded. Of those, 145 said they would quit DMV if the headquarters office moves to leased space in Rocky Mount, with another 62 saying they were “uncertain.”
Only 48 said they would stay with the agency if it follows through with its plans to move in 2020. The Council of State, a board made up of Gov. Roy Cooper and nine other statewide elected officials, could vote to approve the lease when it meets Tuesday morning.
The survey suggests the DMV could have to replace dozens of employees at the same time the agency is moving. More than 15 percent of DMV’s headquarters jobs are already vacant, Secretary of Transportation Jim Trogdon told the Council of State in a conference call last month.
This is a complicated issue—as the N&O writes, the Rocky Mount property was the cheapest bid, and “DMV officials have said they feel obligated under state law to choose the lowest bidder that met its space needs.” Fair enough, but considering the hardship on the employees, it seems as though the cheapest bid–especially if it’s out of town–should not have been the primary consideration. That said, I believe–in spite of the results of the poll—that the vast majority of DMV workers will suck it up and make the commute to Rocky Mount, should the Council of State approve the move.
