Senator Berger tells local councils DOT study funded for US‑220, urges residents to bring local bills early
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Summary
Senator Berger updated Stoneville and Wentworth officials on state matters, said the legislature remains in a quiet period before the short session in April–May, and said he helped secure $2 million for a DOT engineering study to segment large highway upgrades (US‑220/US‑29). He encouraged towns to submit local‑bill requests early and offered constituent assistance.
Senator Berger told several Rockingham County town councils in early January that the General Assembly is in an interim, ‘‘quiet’’ period and that the short session is likely to resume in April or May. He urged town officials with local legislative needs to send details to his Raleigh office as soon as possible so his staff can begin drafting and shepherding local bills.
Berger said transportation remains a priority for his office. ‘‘We were able to find $2,000,000 to get DOT to fund the study that is in the process of being done as we speak,’’ he said, describing the work as an engineering study to break large projects such as upgrades to US‑220 into smaller, fundable segments. He said the same approach is underway for US‑29 work and for bridges already being rebuilt in the county.
On a separate issue Berger addressed the long waits at DMV offices. He attributed part of the backlog to the federal Real ID requirements and the additional documentation and verification required at local DMV offices, and said the governor’s appointee as DMV commissioner and state audits have led to some improvements and funded positions. He encouraged residents with case‑level problems to call his office and provided his Raleigh number and a legislative email distribution list for updates.
Berger took questions from council members about budget mechanics at the state level, explaining that North Carolina’s statutes allow the previous year’s budget to roll over rather than force a shutdown when a new appropriations package is still being negotiated. He said some mini‑budgets have funded teacher step increases but that a full cost‑of‑living pay raise for state employees has not been approved because of an outstanding disagreement over a future tax‑cut revenue trigger.
What’s next: Berger said towns with potential local bills should contact his office promptly; deadlines for filing local bills in the short session are generally announced in late April or early May.
