Audit finds misuse of taxpayer {dollars} at Nevada Division of Transportation

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An audit into the Nevada Division of Transportation revealed misuse of tax {dollars}, abuse of state assets, and an absence of oversight, in accordance with the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

State lawmakers reviewed a few of the audit’s findings at a Legislative Fee assembly Monday.

“During our audit, we observed instances where the use of NDOT resources benefited the employees more than the interests of the state,” the Legislative Counsel Bureau acknowledged. “Specifically, state vehicles were modified or used for the personal benefit of state employees.”

A automobile assigned to the NDOT Director’s workplace was used excessively for private use, in accordance with the report which referred to a four-month interval in 2023 examined by auditors.

“The individual used the unit almost exclusively for commuting to and from work,” the Legislative Counsel Bureau wrote. “Additionally, there were 18 days that included errands for personal use.”

Auditors estimated the worth of the non-public use to be about $5,000 in taxpayer {dollars} per yr.

The audit referred to 1 occasion involving a pickup truck which workers recognized as a team-building exercise, whereas auditors thought of it wasteful spending.

The audit recognized “questionable and inappropriate modifications totaling nearly $20,000 on a 1987 NDOT pickup truck,” reminiscent of window tinting, matte black wheels, low-profile tires, an engine modification energy chip to boost the efficiency of the automobile, and a drop package to decrease the automobile.

No miles had been pushed on the automobile between companies, work order notes indicated to scrub, element, put together, and restore the truck for a vacation celebration automotive present, and the supervisor who improperly made the modifications bought it for $8,200 at an public sale in April of 2022, in accordance with the audit.

NDOT administration ultimately turned conscious of the incident and took disciplinary motion, however the division doesn’t have insurance policies and procedures outlining what modifications are approved, in accordance with the audit.

Different key findings embody an absence of enforcement to forestall fraud, purchases made with out correct supervisory approval, discrepancies between bodily stock counts and information amounting to almost $25 million in fiscal yr 2023, an absence of inspections, low productiveness, and mechanics paid for duties they weren’t performing.

“For example, an analysis of shop records found mechanics at one location recorded an average of two hours a sat working on NDOT vehicles,” the audit acknowledged.

The audit targeted on NDOT’s actions between January 2022 and thru the calendar yr of 2023, in accordance with a abstract issued in January. NDOT accepted the ten suggestions made, and a report is due on the standing of the suggestions on Oct. 14.

NDOT obtained $1.9 billion in revenues in fiscal yr 2023 and expended $1.2 billion, in accordance with the report.

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