Thursday, April 02, 2015

State audit grades MODOT as "fair"

(From State Auditor John Watson)

The Missouri State Auditor's Office released the audit of the Missouri Department of Transportation today.

In the areas audited, the overall performance of this entity was Fair.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) disbursed over $7 million in monies specific to State Road Funds for other uses. The MoDOT made personnel payments, costing the MoDOT almost $1.5 million, to 122 employees who were placed on two months administrative leave but not required to work during that time. The MoDOT's relocation assistance policy is more generous than the Office of Administration's (OA) relocation policy. As a result, over a two-year period, the MoDOT paid $622,147 more in relocation assistance than would have been allowed by the OA relocation policy. The MoDOT also did not comply with its own relocation policy which resulted in additional expenses for the agency, including a $30,000 reimbursement to an employee to help cover the loss on a sale of residential property (a second residence which had nothing to do with the relocation).

The MoDOT did not publicly disclose a $625,000 payment to a former employee as required by the Sunshine Law. The MoDOT's efforts to recover and document property damage were inadequate. The MoDOT lacks a formal vehicle usage policy and some vehicles may have been underutilized.

The State Auditor issued a State Flight Operations report (2015-003) in January 2015. Findings in that report included the MoDOT's use of charter flights when state-owned planes were available, and flying commission members to meetings when members of many other state boards use vehicular transportation. The MoDOT also allowed non-authorized passengers on state passenger flights.

To read the full report, visit: http://www.auditor.mo.gov/AuditReports/AudRpt2.aspx?id=59

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