The Caucus: Could This Fix The North Carolina DMV?

Lawmakers are out of pocket this month, but that doesn’t mean it’s totally quiet in Raleigh. On Monday, Auditor Dave Boliek released a long-awaited report on the most public-facing agency in state government: the DMV.

— Bryan Anderson

🧑‍⚖️ Roll Call

Who’s afraid of the DMV?
The Columbus County Sheriff’s Department settles an assault case
A fight between a judge and a News & Record reporter
The state lege’s upcoming calendar

Hurry Up And Wait

What would it take for you to work at the DMV?

More specifically, how much would you want to be paid to operate a window with a seemingly never-ending line of disgruntled customers? If it’s more than $20 an hour, you may be out of luck.

So it should come as no surprise that there are 160 DMV license examiner vacancies across the state, according to Boliek’s audit.

Under a mini budget now on Gov. Josh Stein’s desk, lawmakers set aside more than $20 million to create and staff four new DMV offices and to hire 61 license examiners across all other field offices. (Stein has until August 11 to act on it.)

Boliek’s audit suggests that may not address the root problem: “We’ve just got to have the political will to pay these folks,” Boliek said.

Who’s The Boss?

Boliek praised Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins and new DMV Commissioner Paul Tine for their collaboration and said the two leaders are equipped to put the agency on a better footing.

All three were on the same page on next steps, with one exception: Boliek’s recommendation for the DMV to become an independent agency outside the Department of Transportation.

His report found the DMV generates about 30% of Department of Transportation revenue but only gets 2.8% of the DOT’s expenditures. Boliek sees that imbalance as a major concern and wants the DMV to have more control over its day-to-day operations.

“If ever an organization needed disruption, it’s the DMV,” Boliek said. “Sometimes from a disruption, you can get a really fantastic positive. We’re already in a dysfunctional state. Let’s go ahead and restructure now. It’s not going to get any worse.”

Hopkins and Tine disagreed. “Enhanced collaboration between the DOT and the DMV is essential to accelerating progress on key customer experience and operational efficiency initiatives,” they wrote in response to the audit.

Wait For It (Wait For It)

According to the audit, DMV customers wait an average of 1 hour and 15 minutes. If that sounds too good to be true, it’s because it is.

The 75-minute wait only accounts for the time between a customer checking in and leaving the DMV. It can often take several hours just to get through the front door, particularly for those unable to make appointments.

The audit found roughly 1 in 7 customers wait for more than 2 hours and 30 minutes, which doesn’t even count any time spent in line outside the office.

Boliek said a follow-up audit may be necessary to better measure customer wait times. In the meantime, he wants the DMV to establish a public-facing dashboard that includes total customer wait time, not just from the point of check-in.

The DMV said it’ll release a strategic plan to state lawmakers and the governor by December 1, an internal performance dashboard by April 1, 2026, and a public dashboard by July 1, 2026.

Short on Staff

Of the 115 driver license offices in North Carolina, the audit identified a dozen as particularly concerning.

Boliek singled out a Lillington office that has one examiner serving a population of 56,639 people.

Morale is also low across the state (at least prior to a leadership change in May). In a March 2025 survey, a mere 47% of DMV workers who responded said they felt the agency fostered open communication.

In interviews with auditor staff members, some DMV employees expressed concerns for their physical safety. They shared stories of customers lunging at them, following them to the employee parking lot, and even kicking in a glass pane by an office entrance.

“We work our tails off every day and do more with less,” one worker said. “This shouldn’t be something that leadership should be comfortable with. They shouldn’t be piling on more.”

Tine has said boosting employee morale is a top priority. Within weeks of assuming his new role as commissioner, Tine, Hopkins, and Stein visited a Raleigh DMV office to see the long lines and hear customer and employee frustrations firsthand.

— Bryan Anderson

Thanks for reading The Caucus, a politics newsletter anchored by Bryan Anderson. Reach us with tips or ideas at politics@theassemblync.com.

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Columbus County Jail Beating Results in $975K Settlement

A man who sustained a traumatic brain injury and broken bones while held in the Columbus County jail settled a lawsuit against Sheriff Bill Rogers, former Sheriff Jody Greene, and several deputies for $975,000, a newly released document shows.

Four men held in detention at the facility attacked Joshua Johnson, who was being held on misdemeanor charges, in August 2022. The incident raised concerns about oversight at the jail under Greene, and local District Attorney Jon David cited it as a reason to remove Greene from office.

Greene “failed to properly supervise officers” and “permitted dangerous, and potentially deadly conditions” to exist at the jail, David wrote in petitions for his removal. (Greene resigned before the removal proceedings concluded, and Rogers was appointed in his place.)

— Sarah Nagem & Carli Brousseau

Byzantine Limbo

Two years ago, a Guilford County district court judge seized a News & Record reporter’s notes, sealed them, and then issued a gag order. Now, the same judge is obstructing efforts to overturn her ruling, the paper’s attorney said in a court filing last month.

Last year, District Court Judge Ashley Watlington-Simms denied a request to get an audio recording of the hearing in which she ordered bailiffs to seize reporter Kenwyn Caranna’s notes. She also told Caranna not to speak or write about anything she had observed in Watlington-Simms’ juvenile courtroom that day in 2023.

Now, Caranna’s lawyer says Guilford County court officials have blocked his attempts to order the transcript of last year’s hearing, and Watlington-Simms has refused to rule on a motion giving him more time. Watlington-Simms did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

— Michael Hewlett

Around the State: Elections Edition

While it feels like all eyes are on 2026 in North Carolina right now, there are still plenty of important elections playing out this fall. The Assembly network has been covering local elections across the state for 2025.

From INDY, our partners in the Triangle:

From CityView, our partners in Fayetteville:

From Border Belt Independent, our partners in the Sandhills:

— Grace McFadden

Watch This Space

Last week, Michael Whatley made his Senate run official, not long after Roy Cooper did the same. On our socials, we dove into Whatley’s candidacy.

Watch the video here.

Mark Your Calendars

Here are the remaining days for possible state legislature votes this year, under an approved adjournment resolution:

December 16
August 26-28
September 22-25
October 21
November 18

Upcoming Birthdays: Rep. Kyle Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 5; Rep. Karl Gillespie and Sen. Jay Chaudhuri on Wednesday, Aug. 6; Rep. Donnie Loftis and Sen. Michael Garrett on Thursday, Aug. 7, Rep. Gloristine Brown and Sens. Phil Berger, Bob Brinson, and Vickie Sawyer on Friday, Aug. 8; and Rep. Jonathan Almond on Saturday, Aug. 9.

Let us know what’s on your radar at politics@theassemblync.com.