SOURCE: Union Leader

State transportation head Murray resigns

By JOHN DISTASO, Senior Political Reporter

CONCORD – The state's embattled transportation commissioner is on her way out of state government.

Carol Murray and the attorney general's office have reached an agreement on an arrangement that will result in her resignation effective March 1, Murray's attorney said yesterday. And yesterday, Gov. John Lynch's office announced that he received the commissioner's resignation late in the afternoon.

"There is an agreement between the attorney general's office and commissioner Murray," Charles Douglas of Concord said. "Her resignation is part of the agreement."

Douglas declined to comment further. Murray's hiring of the Douglas, Leonard and Garvey law firm and the pending resignation and agreement were first reported by the New Hampshire Union Leader last month.

Murray notified the agency's employees yesterday that she had notified Gov. John Lynch and the members of the Executive Council of her resignation. Members of Lynch's office had been in discussions with members of Douglas' firm about the arrangement for several weeks.

"I thank Commissioner Murray for her years of service to the people of New Hampshire," Lynch said in the statement issued last night. He will soon make an announcement regarding interim leadership of the Department of Transportation, the statement said.

A more than 30-year employee of the DOT, Murray said, "I have always been proud to be a part of this department, whether it was as a college intern in 1974 or as commissioner since 2001."

Nominated initially by Democratic former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, she was re-nominated to a four-year term by Republican Gov. Craig Benson in 2003. Her current four-year term expires on Dec. 3.

Lynch, who is expected to propose a successor to the council shortly, has been known to be unhappy with Murray's management.

In November 2006 he told reporters that he had had discussions with her about "leadership of the department," adding, "I've had ongoing concerns about the financial management and the operational management there."

He said he was concerned about a July 2006 Legislative Budget Assistant's Office audit of the department that pointed out 30 deficiencies at DOT. It cited improper accounting and incorrect statements about the E-ZPass system on toll roads and problematic turnpike fund accounting. The audit also raised concerns about failures to analyze the state's highway fund on a regular basis, to apply for federal funds promptly and to abide by the terms of turnpike bonds.