Gov. Beverly Perdue plans to sign an order today that would strip most of the specific decision-making power from the N.C. Board of Transportation.

The idea is that Perdue wants the board to be less involved in specific decisions and to function more like a board of directors. State law has a different take.

The board has 19 members and 14 are appointed to represent a geographic region of the state. The state law is pretty clear about what those division representatives should do.

Division members shall direct their primary effort to developing transportation policy and addressing transportation problems in the region they represent. Division members shall regularly consult with and consider the views of local government units and Transportation Advisory Committees in the region they represent.

The law goes on to state:

Consultation of Board Members. – Each member of the Board of Transportation who is appointed to represent a transportation engineering division or who resides in a division shall be consulted before the Board makes a decision affecting that division.

The governor has sole authority to appoint transportation board members. Perdue has said that she expects board members to do what she says.

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue has asked certain exempt state-employees, who serve at the pleasure of the governor, to quit.

A spokeswoman for Perdue, Chrissy Pearson, said the request affects about 100 employees whose positions are considered policy-making. Those employees are exempted from sections of the state personnel law that deal with termination and discipline. Exempted jobs are often considered so closely tied to a governor's goals that he or she is allowed to hire and fire them without regard to the process required for the rest of state employees. Other exemptions are granted for certain managerial positions and statutorial reasons.

Those employees have been asked to resign and Perdue's new cabinet secretaries will decide whether to rehire them or not. The letters are going out by e-mail and snail mail now.

Perdue has already decided that one exempt employee will not be back. Another is no longer exempt.

Update: Post includes text of the letter and more information about when it will go out. 

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue has appointed Donice Harbor to direct an Office of Citizen and Faith Outreach.

Harbor, a long-time Perdue staffer, will oversee contact with the public, constituent groups and religious organizations. She will ensure a diverse pool of applicants for boards and commissions.

"Donice Harbor has been an invaluable member of my team for the past eight years," Perdue said in a news release. "Donice will play a key role in making sure that my administration is open and accessible to all North Carolinians."

Harbor held a similar post when Perdue was lieutenant governor.

Prior to working with Perdue, Harbor was a research assistant and legislative liaison to the late state Sen. Jeanne Lucas.

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue checked out of state when thinking about who to appoint to lead the Department of Transportation and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Perdue told Dome that she looked harder out of state for a new HHS secretary, but that she checked out what other state transportation departments are doing. 

"I'm not going to say I brought in people to interview," Perdue said. "My preference is to find really great North Carolinians."

Perdue also left Dome with the distinct impression that the search for cabinet posts and agency heads is all but over. 

"I believe the team I'm going to announce pretty soon is a great team," she said.

She declined to announce the list to Dome. We took a shot.

Has Courtney Crowder's star finally risen?

The newly appointed legislative director to Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue has been named a "rising star" of state politics so many times he could be his own constellation.

A few of the words of praise:

N&O, 2003: "He's an up-and-comer from Southeast Raleigh who could be a strong voice just as the Wake Democrats are reeling from a local election that saw the sheriff and a county commissioner, both blacks, ousted by voters."

Hotline, 2003: "Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-02) ex-aide — currently President of NC Young Dems; 'definitely will run for office in the future.'"

Hotline, 2006: "Very active with the party and 'certainly a bright star.'"

N&O, 2008: "Courtney Crowder, a public relations professional in his 30s and long active in Democratic circles, is often mentioned as a potential candidate from Southeast Raleigh." 

Beverly Perdue named her legislative lobbyist and director today.

As expected since earlier this month, the governor-elect announced that she would appoint Andy Willis as her senior advisor for governmental affairs. She also named Courtney Crowder as legislative director.

Willis is currently vice president for government relations for the University of North Carolina system and a former fiscal analyst for the state Senate. He has a master's degree in public administration from UNC-Chapel Hill and a bachelor's in political science from N.C. State.

Crowder currently works as a lobbyist for Capstrat and previously worked at the N.C. Department of Insurance and for U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge. He has a master's degree from Duke University and a bachelor's degrees in English literature and French from N.C. Central University.

"Andy and Courtney will bring to our team a wealth of experience and proven ability to get things done," Perdue said in a statement. "They'll play key roles in making our vision to get North Carolina back on track a reality."

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dempsey Benton will not stick around for the administration of Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue.

Benton, a former Raleigh city manager, was named secretary in May 2007 and wound up dealing with the the debacle within the mental health system that was highlighted by a N&O series earlier this year. Legislators appreciated his management skills, and he was widely seen as a potential holdover into the incoming Perdue administration to continue straightening out the costly and fatal flaws in the mental health system.

"He indicated to us early on that he would be stepping down," said Perdue spokesman David Kochman.

Benton will stay on in some capacity for a brief time while Perdue searches for a successor, Kochman said.

Benton said he told the Perdue team he did not want to continue as secretary but that he would help with the transition.

"I'm trying to get out of the day to day management responsibilities that I've had for a number of years," he said. "I've done 40 years of public service, most of that being on the firing line management positions. I think I've completed that type of work."

Dempsey Benton is holding his cards tight.

The former Raleigh city manager, brought in by Gov. Mike Easley to clean up problems with the state's mental health system, is not saying whether he might stay at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

When asked by a staffer on Dome's behalf if he would continue in his job, Benton smiled but said nothing in response.

"I guess these things are up to the Gov.-elect and her team," said spokesman Tom Lawrence.

Perdue has said that fixing the mental health system is a priority, and Benton is among the most well-regarded of Easley's appointments, but it's not known if he's willing to stay at a rather difficult job.

On the other hand, with the state still facing problems, he would not be seen as accomplishing his goal if he leaves now.

As previously reported, he is one of three members of Easley's Cabinet who might stay.

Forty North Carolinians have given a total of $17,625 to President-elect Barack Obama's transition team.

That's about 1.5 percent of the $1.17 million total he has raised through Nov. 15. Obama pledged to make public his donor list each month. The list, out this week, shows just a few top-dollar donors from the Tar Heel state, Barb Barrett reports.

Only one person, Eric Cumming of Raleigh, donated the maximum $5,000. Cumming is listed as an employee of Solarus Energy.

William Struve of Wilmington gave $2,000. Two people donated $1,000: Daniel Gottovi of Raleigh and Joseph Williams of Greensboro.

Other donors gave between $100 and $500.

Obama has pledged not to accept money from federal lobbyists, political action committees, corporations and labor unions. The money raised by his transition team will help pay for the Obama transition operation.