Governor Brown Orders Audit of DMV

In lieu of outrageous wait times, out of touch technology and improper voter registration, Governor Jerry Brown has decided to conduct an audit into California’s disconcerting Department of Motor Vehicles.

The Department of Finance, which handles these types of matters, has sent a letter to the DMV Director Jean Shiomoto acknowledging that the department has made some progress in addressing ongoing issues, however they say recent developments have “underscored the need for further analysis.”

Other details of the performance audit will entail a complete analysis of the DMV’s field operations, IT system and governance structure. The DMV will also be required to reimburse the agency $700,000 to $800,000 to cover the overall cost of the audit. Once this is complete, the Department of Finance will outline their own recommendations.

While DMV director Shiomoto said in a statement, “We welcome the Department of Finance’s input into DMV’s ongoing efforts to reduce wait times and improve customer service and stand ready to assist with the audit” this is not the first time an audit of the department has been attempted.

Just last month the California Globe broke a story about a proposed 2018 August audit of DMV fell short by one vote after three Democratic senators—Ricardo Lara, Ben Allen and Jim Beal—all abstained from voting. Instead, the state granted the department another $16 million to hire 200 more workers for its field offices.

Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox has made holding the DMV accountable a major point in his campaign. He has also called for the resignation of director Shiomoto.

Cox tweeted back in early September “Gov. Brown needs to bring the Legislature back to Sacramento and demand an immediate audit of this DMV fiasco.”

Gov. Brown needs to bring the Legislature back to Sacramento and demand an immediate audit of this DMV fiasco. #CAGov

— JohnHCox (@TheRealJohnHCox) September 10, 2018