CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Senator John Unger tried to use the words of new Senate President Bill Cole against him during a debate in Wednesday’s Senate floor session.
Up for final passage was SB 8 that calls for a performance audit of the state Division of Highways. Unger (D-Berkeley) said the estimated $500,000 audit would be a waste of money given the Blue Ribbon Commission on Highways studied the road needs less than two years ago.
“So we’re going to spend a half-million dollars to commission a study that’s already being done by the Blue Ribbon Commission and in addition has already been done by the REASON Foundation in regards to performance audits,” Unger said.
The senator failed in his attempt to have the bill sent to Senate Finance Committee for further study. He then reminded Sen. President Cole of the words he used during his acceptance speech on the first day of the session.
“I do not believe the problems we face as West Virginians are ones that can be solved by commissioning another study that will tell us what we already know. We have work to do,” Unger said repeating Cole’s words.
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael (R-Jackson) said the DOH performance audit would be an audit, which is different than a study. Sen. Chris Walters (R-Kanawha) said it would be a micro-look at the DOH.
“We keep hearing that in different regions that some areas have more snow trucks and some areas have different types of equipment. This will do a great equipment inventory and give suggestions on how to utilize that to its fullest potential and that’s exactly what this audit does,” Walters said.
The Senate passed the bill and sent it to the House of Delegates.
State Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox told members of the House Finance Committee last week he is not opposed to the audit.
“Actually that’s a very good idea,” Mattox said. “When I became (DOH) commissioner back in 2005 we did the very same thing.”
That audit was was done by PRAG, Public Resource Advisory Group.
“That’s been 10 years ago. It’s certainly time to take a fresh look at it to see if there are any other fresh ideas that we’re unaware of that could provide some savings,” Mattox said.