Governor Dannel Malloy has appointed his interim Department of Transportation commissioner to oversee the agency permanently. WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports.
Governor Malloy named James Redeker to run the department, which employs 3,000 people and oversees the state's highways, ports and airports.
Redeker was appointed as the interim commissioner in March as the governor conducted a national search to fill the job. But Malloy said that the national search eventually turned up the local guy.
"It turns out that the right person was here in our own backyard. Over the last five months, I've been impressed with Jim's confidence, his vision, his expertise, his ability to manage the department during periods of great uncertainty due to the budget negotiations and the ratification issues."
Malloy says one thing the two men have talked about is the possibility of tolls on state highways as a way to generate more revenue.
"Every time that somebody reminds me that we're paying more for gas in Connecticut, I do remind them -- and specifically we hear a comparison to other states -- I do remind them that we don't have tolls right now."
Redeker joined DOT in 2008 after working for 30 years with the New Jersey Department of Transportation and New Jersey Transit. He'll be paid $175,000 a year.
For WNPR, I'm Jeff Cohen.