Governor Jeanne Shaheen has nominated Carol Murray to be New Hampshire?s next Transportation Commissioner. While Murray, who has worked at transportation since 1978, is considered a shoe in for executive council confirmation?her selection is not without controversy. Murray?s husband is an executive with the R.S Audley Inc?a major road building concern. NHPR?s Josh Rogers has more.
According to Governor Jeanne Shaheen, her administration looked far and wide for the best possible candidate to oversee New Hampshire?s second largest state agency?only to conclude she?s already on state rolls.
The search committee picked out their first choice ? and it was a consensus choice ? was Carol Murray. I interviewed each of the recommended candidates: My first choice was Carol Murray.
That sounds simple enough, but the nomination came with conditions. Murray had to meet the requirements of the Governor?s executive branch code of ethics. To do so, the Governor said Murray?s husband had to make some changes.
He?s agreed to step down as vice president of the Audley Company and has agreed, as has Sam Audley, head of that company that he will not benefit in any way from business that Audley does with the state of New Hampshire.
Such moves may remove actual, literal ?conflict of interest? but they don?t fully remove the potential appearance of such. That can get murky, particularly in a small state, where everybody seems to know each other. But according to Attorney General Philip McLaughlin, whose office is drafting procedures to help allay any untoward appearances, transparency is attainable.
It would happen by working out a system that would allow anybody who has a question about how contracts are managed. And there will very likely be an ombudsman involved?Essentially it would be a right to know process that is just quicker, speedier than the normal process.
But Murray?s appointment has also raised concerns that selecting someone from within the department would perpetuate an intra agency culture that some believe is too resistant to change. Carol Murray says that?s a fallacy.
We need to understand that to meet the 21st century we need an integrated system of transportation of all modes. We?re not going to be able to widen our high way system to give us capacity in the future. We need to look at other alternatives. And that even extends to bicyclists and pedestrians ? not just the traditional rail, bus and all those items we think of.
None of the five executive counselors say there worried about either questions of conflict, or Murray?s qualifications. According to Counselor Ruth Griffin?the whole matter has been much ado about nothing.
I?ve been in favor of Commissioner Murray all along. I think it?s all been a tempest in a teapot.
No date has yet been set for Murray?s confirmation.
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