What ‘Shocked’ North Carolina’s Governor When He Took Office?
Gov. Pat McCrory (left) speaks at the Charter Schools USA Annual Summit. Media Office of Gov. Pat McCrory
Gov. Pat McCrory says he’s focused on shortcomings with operations and infrastructure.
There were two aspects of North Carolina’s state government that caught Gov. Pat McCrory’s attention when he took office about two years ago.
One had to do with operations.
“When I got to Raleigh, I noticed the whole focus was on two things, power and policy,” he said during an event in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. “What shocked me is the lack of attention to detail on basic operations.”
Another thing he noticed had to do with infrastructure.
“We have not had a bond in 15 years,” he said. “We haven’t had new investment in our universities, our community colleges, our state parks, or ports, and our roads.”
“We better start doing that now,” McCrory, a first-term Republican elected in 2012, said.
The governor was speaking to an audience attending the 19th annual North Carolina Business & Economic Development Summit at the U.S. Capitol.
As an example of how his administration has been working to improve operations, he pointed to strides the state had made to cut wait times and improve customer service at its Department of Motor Vehicles offices. These efforts, he said, have involved refashioning the offices so that they are more like Apple or Verizon retail stores.
McCrory also described operational challenges North Carolina was facing with the upkeep of state buildings and information technology systems.
“We’re letting our buildings fall down,” he said, “and it’s going to cost the taxpayers more and more money.”
On the infrastructure front, McCrory has been pushing a $2.8 billion bond referendum that would pay for a variety of projects across the state. He’d like to see it put before voters either this November or next March, but some members of the state Senate have indicated that they are wary of issuing the debt.
In contrast, McCrory believes now is a great time to issue bonds. He said: “I think we’re not taking advantage of the lowest interest rates that we’ll see in our lifetime.”
The governor added that he believed that the bond measure was “just the beginning” of the new capital investment that should be made in North Carolina, and that it “still doesn’t come close to what we need.”
Bill Lucia is a Reporter for Government Executive's Route Fifty.
NEXT STORY: Pennsylvania's Capital Must Change Its Financial Recovery Plan, Mayor Says