The non-partisan Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) released the
results of an audit of the State Highway Program this week. This
audit was requested by the legislature to identify cost-savings,
efficiencies, and to ensure that the Wisconsin Department of
Transportation (WisDOT) is appropriately managing taxpayer
money. The State Highway Program covers major highway projects
and the Southeast WI megaprojects, rehabilitation projects of
existing highways, and maintenance work. I am still reviewing
the results of the audit, but there are two main areas of
concern that stand out: (1) WisDOT did not accurately account
for inflation when giving cost-estimates to the legislature.
This means that the 16 ongoing major highway projects cost $3.1
billion more than cost estimates given to the legislature when
the projects were enumerated. For the 19 major highway projects
completed from January 2006 through December 2015, the costs
were $772.5 million higher than the original cost estimate at
enumeration. This is unacceptable, and it is another example of
why constant oversight of government bureaucracy is needed.
(2) The condition of our roads is deteriorating. The audit
reported that the number of highways rated as "good" has
decreased from 53.5% to 41% over the years, which is below the
national average.
One of my greatest responsibilities as your representative is
to be a good steward of your money. That is why I support the
Assembly's call for new cost estimates from the DOT so we can
have a complete picture of the costs of road projects. The
request includes:
- A full review of the cost estimates for all ongoing mega
and major highway projects that are planned or budgeted for
the 2017-19 and 2019-21 biennia
- A review of all project proposals not yet enumerated
- A comprehensive report on all projects since 2010
documenting the estimated costs and the total actual costs.
· Despite
the faulty cost-estimates the legislature received, it is
clear that the legislature must take action to address
our deteriorating roads, and we must make reforms at the DOT to
prevent these errors from happening again.
You can read the Assembly's call for new cost estimates
here.
You can read the highlights of the LAB audit
here.
You can read the full LAB audit
here. |