Accountability Becomes the Focus of Transportation Commission Meeting

Accountability…that seems to be the new buzz word for the State Transportation Commission. The commission took a bit of an unusual step during its meeting at the Missouri Department of Transportation headquarters in Jefferson City by disclosing its latest audit to the public in an open hearing. The audit was good news for the commission. The independent accounting firm gave MODOT its highest rating for accounting practices. It also found that MODOT had come within less than one percent of its projected spending in actual money spent on projects. Commissioner Jim Anderson says such impressive results need to be shared with the public. He denies the commission took the unusual step to hold an open meeting on the audit to answer the criticism of Governor Holden deliver in Springfield in September. Holden blasted the commission and MODOT for not being accountable enough to the public. MODOT has another accountability step upcoming. It will turn in a report to a state legislative joint committee on oversight in a week.