Election Results
Voters delivered significant wins to Democrats nationwide last night. In Virginia, Democrats won the governorship, Lt. Governor and attorney general’s race. In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won the governorship and in New York, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the mayor’s race beating former Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo.
Meanwhile in California, Proposition 50, which would allow the adoption of a new congressional map that would add five more Democratic House seats, passed.
In North Carolina, dozens of local races were on the ballot. Vi Lyles, who overcame recent controversies, secured a fifth term as Charlotte Mayor.
Mecklenburg County voters also approved a tax referendum Tuesday that will set in motion a multi-billion dollar regional transportation overhaul. Voters cast their ballots Tuesday and throughout early voting to approve a new 1% sales tax rate increase to fund a slate of road, rail and bus projects. With 187 of 195 precincts reporting, the pro-referendum vote led anti-referendum vote by a margin of 52.3% to 47.7%, according to the State Board of Elections. The “for” vote led all evening even as the margin shrank with new Election Day votes. At the pro-referendum “Yes for Meck” campaign’s election night party, Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Chair David Longo declared victory at about 10:20 p.m.
The tax increase is projected to generate more than $19 billion over 30 years. The state law authorizing the referendum allocates 40% of the new revenue to road projects and 40% to rail projects. The other 20% is designated to the region’s bus system.
DMV head tells lawmakers wait times have fallen
A hiring blitz and process improvements at North Carolina's beleaguered Division of Motor Vehicles have helped cut average customer wait times by 31% in recent months — even as the number of office visits increases, DMV officials told state lawmakers Wednesday.
The average wait time is currently about 90 minutes, down from more than two hours in July, DMV Commissioner Paul Tine told members of the House Select Committee on Government Efficiency. An April survey found an average walk-in wait time of more than three hours. The number of in-office issuances has increased 7% to 643,000 in the fiscal year to date. The improvement follows the recent hiring of dozens of DMV examiners.
The committee questioned Tine and Department of Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson about efforts to improve operations at the DMV, where overworked staff and long lines have become a source of frustration for residents across the state. Tine told lawmakers that staffing, process and technological improvements have been key. "We're nowhere near where we need to, but the tone in the offices is better," he said.
The Office of the State Auditor released two audits in August that detailed a deteriorating customer experience at the DMV, including increasing wait times caused in part by employee burnout, low staffing and aging technology. North Carolina's population jumped 30%, but DMV staffing only jumped 10% over the last 15 years, members of the auditor's office testified Wednesday. “We probably needed some more positions to go along with that," Katie Gleason, the state's performance audit director, told lawmakers. Auditors also reported that while the DMV generates about 30% of revenue for the DOT, it receives less than 3% of the department's expenditures.
The auditor’s office found that an overwhelmed workforce was a major contributor to long lines at DMV offices across the state — particularly as the division deals with a crush of newcomers and existing residents needing services, including upgraded IDs to meet new federal standards. The auditor’s office said its findings suggested a dysfunctional relationship between the DMV and the DOT. The auditor has also said more flexibility is needed in current state personnel rules to allow the DMV to hire and retain staff more effectively.
Tine has promised to reduce wait times and improve customer experience by implementing numerous staffing and technological changes. His plans have included enhancing a queuing system to include capacity limits, which were projected to reduce instances of customers being turned away at the end of the day after waiting for hours. He wants to streamline other processes for workers to make it easier for customers to receive services.
"We're open for business," Tine told lawmakers. "Just because you can't find an appointment online doesn't mean that you can't come in and be served at DMV. And 87% of the people on a day-to-day basis come into our offices" without appointments.
Tine expects to complete a strategic plan and staffing plan for the division by Dec. 1. He’s also working on boosting data analysis to track performance and improvements. To improve morale, DMV officials have held listening tours at most of its offices and they have increased weekly communication with staff.
Tine has sought to make room in DMV office schedules for more morning walk-in customers. The division is now accepting walk-in customers all day, according to the DMV presentation, instead of reserving a portion of office hours for appointments only. "Having appointments available would be much more convenient for folks," Tine said. "But right now, we've had such a backlog, my main focus is get people through the door as quickly as possible. Tine has also credited legislative changes with easing the ID-renewal process and workload on the division. And he said the division is working on a request for funding and flexibility with job requisitions.
Despite the improvements, Rep. Keith Kidwell, a committee chairman, said he still hears from constituents who are frustrated with the DMV — unable to get a license for a child or waiting months for an appointment. “It’s been a nightmare,” said Kidwell, R-Beaufort. “That’s not changed by a whole lot.”
Tine acknowledged that there's more work to do and lawmakers appeared willing to help and seemed encouraged by the recent progress.
"We will continue to work to fix things," Tine said. "We are certainly nowhere near where we need to be at this time. And so each and every time that we hear something, we will address it and see how we can progress forward."
Mecklenburg Taxes
Work on some projects that would be funded by the referendum on Mecklenburg County’s November ballot could begin as soon as late 2026 or early 2027. The referendum on the 2025 ballot asks voters to approve or reject a 1% sales tax rate increase to fund road, rail and bus projects across the county. Road projects likely will be among the first to get started. Rail projects could take the longest.
If the referendum passes, local leaders anticipate the tax increase will generate more than $19 billion in revenue over the next 30 years. Of that money, 40% will go to rail projects and 20% to the region’s bus system. The other 40% would be divided between Charlotte and Mecklenburg’s six towns for road projects. Election Day is Nov. 4, and early voting is already underway.
Some projects have priority, and some could come together faster because of their size and scope, local leaders say. There’s no exact date yet for when crews would break ground on rail projects if the referendum passes. The Charlotte Area Transit System told The Charlotte Observer the rail projects are currently in the design stage and “will move as quickly as possible, with advancement within the next decade.”
Ferry Service
Following proposed service reductions to North Carolina’s ferry system, the N.C. General Assembly approved $7 million in funding to support the state ferry system. The N.C. Department of Transportation’s ferry system consists of 21 ferries across the Currituck and Pamlico sounds, as well as the Cape Fear, Neuse and Pamlico rivers. Due to revenue issues, DOT was proposing a reduction in ferry departures, varying between 33% and 60% across the ferry system, said Craven County Manager Jack Veit.
“There’s a misconception amongst the ferry system that this ferry happens to be related to tourism,” Veit said. “Well, it is to some degree, but this is workforce development, this economic development, this is national security, this is educational.” Veit said buses board the Cherry Branch ferry with school children and residents use the ferry to get to and from work.
After Craven County staff learned of the proposed reductions, a resolution was drafted in opposition to ferry service reductions, which was supported and signed by the Craven County Board of Commissioners. The Pamlico County Board of Commissioners also supported its own resolution opposing the reductions.
On Wednesday, the Ocracoke Access Alliance, OAA, praised the General Assembly and key legislative leaders for approving $7 million in funding to support the state’s ferry system. The funds will ensure continued operations, vital maintenance and reliable access for coastal communities, said Justin LeBlanc, executive director of the OAA.
The newly approved funding includes $3 million for ferry operations to maintain service levels statewide and $4 million for essential shipyard maintenance, including work on the Sea Level, a vessel vital to the mainland-Ocracoke routes.
Jamie Kritzer, assistant director of communications for DOT, said the department is thankful the General Assembly voted to appropriate nonrecurring funds for the ferry division. “This funding will help pay for a U.S. Coast Guard-required dry dock, enable us to pay for the necessary preventive maintenance for our vessels, help address our marine infrastructure and allow for dredging,” Kritzer said.