LUMBERTON — At least two Robeson County legislators want to know why the state Department of Motor Vehicles is awarding the contract to operate the vehicle license and plate renewal office in downtown Lumberton to someone other than family members of the contractor who operated the agency for years.
The contract for more than 30 years was held by the late Helen Beasley. Renewal of the contract, which is for three years,was requested by Beasley’s children, Ouida Smith and Charlie Beasley. Smith has been working at the agency for 30 years and Beasley for 25 years.
But according to Marge Howell, a spokesperson for the DMV in Raleigh, the awarding of the new contract to Aaron Thomas, president of Metcon Inc., is a done deal. As a result, the current office at 220 N.Chestnut St. will be closed and a new office opened at a site selected by Thomas. Thomas is also responsible for hiring his own staff, Howell said.
Howell said that since the current contract was in the name of their mother Helen, the Beasleys’ application for the contract was treated by DMV as a new applicant and not as a contract renewal.
“It was reviewed as any new application,” Howell said. “Applications are looked at on a case-by-case basis.”
In a letter to DMV Commissioner Mike Robertson, state Rep. G.L. Pridgen called awarding the contract to anyone but the Beasleys “an apparent disregard of the law.” Such action, he said, violates state law prohibiting the commissioner from canceling or amending a contract for any other reason than “malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance” until a joint legislative committee studying the DMV’s contract program makes final recommendations later this year.
“The committee has not received any final recommendations … much less acted upon them,” Pridgen said in the letter. “Consequently, your purported cancellation of the Lumberton LPA’s contract based on a desire to replace that contractor with another clearly violates this prohibition.”
Pridgen told The Robesonian that he hates to see the agency be located anywhere but in downtown Lumberton.
“It’s location is so good for the people,” he said. “Also, those working in that office are so professional and helpful. I hate to see them go.”
State Sen. Michael Walters said Friday that when the application process began about 60 days ago, he wrote a letter to DMV supporting the Beasleys’ application to continue to operate the DMV office.
“I’ve been involved through the whole process,” he said. “I’ve made numerous phone calls, as late as just two weeks ago, in support of the current contractor.
“DMV has not yet given me a reason for their decision to change the contractor.”
Walters said that he has been told by the DMV that Thomas will be locating the agency within Lumberton city limits, possibly on Lackey Street.
Thomas could not be reached for comment.
Reach staff writer Bob Shiles at 910-272-6117 or bshiles@heartlandpublications.com.
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!["Focused" CD Cover](http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/483/assets/8N5E_Cover150X150.jpg ""Focused" CD Cover")
A Greensboro News and Record article(Nov. 1, 2011) stated the DMV's policy is to seek new applicants whenever a contract expires or ends.
On the other hand, I'm not sure Metcon is the right "man" for the job. They've done alot of construction in the county, but was well paid for it. Speaking from personal experience, it's almost impossible for a Lumbee to get a semi-good paying job with the company. Time will tell...
Keep hiding behind your screen name and yelling witch and see what happens. You sit and scream how racist this one or that one is and yet you're the one that comes off looking ignorant not the one you're persecuting!
Link to county website:
http://www.co.robeson.nc.us/comis.htm
A few weeks ago he managed to change the ambulance service contract also.
The county Board of Commissioners last week approved in a 7 yto 1 vote a two-year contract with MED 1. The only other company offering a proposal to provide the service was American Medical Response, a national company that has held an exclusive contract with the county for 13 years.
Read more: The Robesonian - 3 commissioners shaky on MED1
Well who would have imagined that Metcon could expand so rapidly in a depressed economy like we are experiencing? Just good management? So now they are taking over state agencies also? License agency? And of course the newly opened license agency should be named after their buddy. I wonder what's next?
Lot's of questions...wonder who could answer these for us (truthfully)?
I pray they get voted out! I wouldnt give them a dime for their campaines.
And im sick of all these raciest comments being made about native americans by these raciest people commenting on this post, grow up and get a life!
Like everything else in the county as long as "they" are running the show who cares if they run it right. Metcon needs to go fix the leaks and mold in the "Racist Raymond Boss Hawg Cummings Glass Palace" instead of trying to take something else on. Oh nevermind the county employees are probably patching those screw ups on our dime.
Did Racist Raymond Boss Hawg Cummings not get his cut of this one? Those other fellas better cut him in or he might get upset.... the least they could do is name the new DMV office after him.
"It's location is so good for the people"- You mean after we circle the block for 30 minutes looking for a parking space...
People from all over the county have to come here not just the elite. Drive from Fairmont and can't find a park and tell me how good it is.
What a joke.