LAWMAKERS UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORT MORE OVERSIGHT OF THE MAINE TURNPIKE AUTHORITY

AUGUSTA—Today the State Senate unanimously passed a bill providing oversight and stricter guidelines for procedural and auditing practices of the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA). Earlier this year, the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA) released a report regarding the Maine Turnpike Authority.

LD 1538, “An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the Maine Turnpike Authority and to Implement Certain Recommendations of the Government Oversight Committee in the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability Report Concerning the Maine Turnpike Authority,” is the legislative response from the Government Oversight Committee (GOC) to the findings in the OPEGA report.

“This bipartisan effort will surely give the people of Maine more reassurance,” said Senator Barry Hobbins, who serves as the Senate Democratic Leader. “Senator Hill and her colleagues should be applauded for their diligence and persistence in doing the right thing.”

Two years ago, Senator Dawn Hill, who served on the Government Oversight Committee, led the effort to investigate what then appeared to be misconduct and a misappropriation of funds at the MTA.

“I am delighted that the work done by OPEGA and GOC will result in a better run and better managed organization,” said Sen. Hill of York. “The MTA will now be accountable to the toll payers and to the state where and how money is being spent. This was never meant to be a witch hunt. Something seemed not quite right and we were determined to find out and correct it.”

Most concerning to lawmakers was the lack of transparency for revenue and expenditures at MTA and the lack of accountability from the Board of Directors to executive director. Several aspects of the bill address accounting practices such as requiring the MTA to retain a compliance auditor from outside of the MTA in addition to maintain a system for ongoing internal auditing of the authority’s books and accounts; make available a detailed budget of expenditures among other things.

The bill also changes the membership term of the MTA Board of Directors from a seven year to a six year term and stipulates removal of members for activities such as “gross misconduct, which is financial malfeasance, a deliberate or reckless failure to attend to duties” and so on.

Another provision of the bill includes a transfer of 5% of the MTA’s annual revenue to the Department of Transportation for use on projects within 25 miles of an interchange. Senator Hill has long insisted that the legislature had always intended for the MTA to share a portion of its revenue with the State for repair and maintenance of roads and bridges.

The bill now goes back to the House for enactment.