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Mattox says no major money savings by taking courtesy patrol in-house

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox says he sees no pressing reason to cancel the current contract that funds the Courtesy Patrol because the DOH couldn’t provide the service any cheaper.

State Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox says taking Courtesy Patrol in-house would generate no major savings.
State Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox says taking Courtesy Patrol in-house would generate no major savings.

Mattox received a report this week from his staff which has been studying the issue. The report will eventually be submitted to the state legislature, Mattox told MetroNews.

The legislature revived the Courtesy Patrol in 1998 during the administration of former Gov. Cecil Underwood. Its $3.4 million contract was administered by the state Department of Commerce but in recent years the legislature switched that responsibility to the state Division of Highways. The DOH renewed the annual contract with the Citizen Conservation Corps of West Virginia in May and began the study to see if it would save the state money to offer the roadside service itself. The study shows it would cost the state just as much, Mattox said.

“There really are, as far as we can determine, no cost savings whether we did it in-house or whether we contracted it out,” Mattox said. “So it goes back to–what does the legislature want to do? Do they want to continue to have a Courtesy Patrol program or not?”

Mattox said the legislature created the service by statute and it would have to be the one to remove it.

The DOH already purchases the trucks for the CCC. They are leased back at no cost. If the DOH took it in-house the agency would have to purchase the vehicles and add workers to provide the 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year schedule.

“I think it’s served the people of West Virginia well over the years using the contracting method that lets the private sector provide those services,” Mattox said.

The salaries of the top two CCC executives, CEO Robert Martin ($280,3131) and COO Jennifer Douglass  ($121,250), have been the target of controversy by critics of the contract. Mattox said the CCC does more than just the Courtesy Patrol. The non-profit organization is part of 12 different programs.

The CCC website says the Courtesy Patrol has logged more than 77 million miles since November 1998 and assisted nearly 306,000 motorists.

“When you need it that’s when you’re glad we have a Courtesy Patrol program out there because you never know when you’re going to need their services,” Mattox said.





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