Editorial: Next MnDOT chief must restore trust

The Carol Molnau era at MnDOT came to a close Thursday, just three days after the Legislature cleared the way for $6.6 billion in new transportation funding.

There's no reason for dancing in the potholed streets. Minnesota has a proud history of efficient and effective government. Without adequate transportation funding, Molnau's reign at MnDOT was ill-fated, with or without a bridge collapse. That she became an I-35W punching bag over the past six months merely added to the erosion in public confidence.

Budget problems, bidding fiascoes and an AWOL emergency official all contributed to Molnau's inevitable ouster by the state Senate, as did a weakening infrastructure and increasingly congested roads and highways. The most recent troubling news came in Sunday's Star Tribune, which reported that Molnau failed to disclose her interest in selling land near a highway project she was promoting while serving in the Legislature.

Molnau's dual role as lieutenant governor and transportation chief was seen as an experiment when it began in 2003. The big risk was clear: Could an unabashedly partisan elected official with no professional engineering experience effectively run and advocate for a critical state agency in the face of political pressure from both sides of the aisle? If the answer was unclear in 2003, it should be obvious today.

Monday's override marked an important turning point for transportation in Minnesota, and Thursday's confirmation vote was a key second step. The necessary catchup tax increases will be painful enough for Minnesotans struggling in a bad economy; it would have been even more painful to hand additional billions over to an agency headed by Molnau.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty now faces the task of finding a new chief who will restore credibility to MnDOT. The irony is that the Legislature's override is likely to make the governor's search easier. Top-level candidates are more likely to be interested in the job because MnDOT will have the funds necessary to get the state's transportation system back on track.

That's not to say the job will be easy. Every legislator, county official and lobbyist with a road project will be lining up at MnDOT's door soon. The next MnDOT commissioner will need to be a skilled leader and manager who will put the needs of the state before politics. That should be the priority, with professional engineering experience being a huge plus.

This is not the time for another experiment at MnDOT.