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Lawmakers decry excesses and abuses of State Vehicle Fleet

Author: Delegate Jonathan Miller | Published: 02/09/2010 | 40 Views | Short URL: http://www.inthepanhandle.com/local/n/6510

Charleston, WV - Several Republican members of the House Government Organization Committee have written a letter to the committee chairman demanding a complete explanation of the Department of Administration’s plan to deal with the problems with the State’s vehicle fleet management.

The letter expresses strong disappointment with the proposed legislation HB 4033. Also, the letter asks for representatives from the Department of Administration to appear before the committee and layout their plan - if there is one - addressing the serious problems with the State’s vehicle fleet.

…audits found the State’s vehicle fleet includes nearly 7,000 vehicles and costs up to $70 million per year to maintain, including $24 million in gasoline alone in 2008. - Delegate Cowles

“HB 4033 is a two page bill that offers no corrections, eliminates no excess vehicles, provides no answers, and contains no accountability,” stated Delegate Daryl Cowles. Delegate Cowles is taking the lead on this issue for the Republican members of the House Government Organization Committee.

“The audits revealed millions of dollars in waste and abuse. Most importantly, perhaps, were violations of tax law, misrepresentations of employee income, unpaid taxes, and miscalculated retirement benefits. The potential tax evasion, tax fraud, and violations of Federal IRS laws should be considered with the somber seriousness it warrants,” continued Cowles.

Delegate Cowles provided additional background and information on the problems with the State’s vehicle fleet.

“The audits found the State’s vehicle fleet includes nearly 7,000 vehicles and costs up to $70 million per year to maintain, including $24 million in gasoline alone in 2008. Hundreds of vehicles are assigned to state employees for primarily commuting and personal use. Mismanagement of the vehicle fleet has led to improper record keeping and rampant problems including $22.7 million in vehicle accident claims identified by the audits.”

“Even more, another audit shed light on an excessive aircraft fleet for the Administration that includes five aircraft, eleven employees, and several million dollars in a budget amount. The audit decries the illegal transfers of monies appropriated to one department but funneled to the aircraft fleet,” said Cowles.

Delegate Carol Miller, the Minority Chair of the House Government Organization Committee, added, “Despite all this, HB 4033 seeks to empower the same department with additional authority and new general revenue funds to address the problems for which they are directly responsible for in the first place.”

“We collectively, as members of the WV Legislature, must provide input into a comprehensive solution against the excesses in the State’s vehicle fleet management . We must be accountable to the hardworking taxpayers of WV. We must be responsible and respectful to our citizens. HB 4033 does neither,” concluded Delegate Jonathan Miller.

HB 4033 is pending in the House Committee on Government Organization.