Publication: Los Angeles Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed Friday to add $168 million to the budget of the California Department of Motor Vehicles for more hiring and improvements to keep reducing wait times at field offices that ran up to six hours last summer.
The proposal will face scrutiny from lawmakers who say they need more assurances that the agency’s management is turning a corner as the state is seeking to appoint a new agency director.
“I do believe that the DMV needs more resources, because they have more customers coming in for the REAL IDs, but I don’t believe that the leadership team there now knows what to do with those resources,” said Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), who is chairman of The Assembly Budget Committee.
The request sent to the Legislature includes an extra $6 million for the current fiscal year, ending June 30, and $162 million more for next year.
That would represent a 13% increase in the previously proposed DMV budget of $1.2 billion next year.