Audit based on bad answers, Southeast's Dobbins says

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Contrary to findings issued by the state auditor, Southeast Missouri State University does have written policies regarding the management and use of state-owned vehicles, the school's president said.

State Auditor Claire McCaskill issued a report on Tuesday criticizing many of the 85 state agencies surveyed for a lack of sufficient safeguards to ensure that state vehicles are properly and efficiently used.

Auditors asked agencies if they had vehicle policies covering seven categories: general, maintenance, replacement, use, assignment, management and use of trip logs.

The report listed Southeast as complying in only one area -- utilizing a vehicle management system. The information came from a survey filled out in March by a facilities management official with the university, said Glenn Campbell, the auditor's spokesman.

However, Southeast president Dr. Ken Dobbins said that official gave incorrect answers to the questions.

"I don't know why," Dobbins said. "I'm trying to find that out."

Dobbins said Southeast has eight pages of detailed policies related to the use and management of university vehicles.

"If you look at our policies, you would check off those categories listed as 'no' policy," Dobbins said. "If we are asked to resubmit the survey, we would be more than happy to do that."

The report also listed Southeast as having 131 passenger vehicles. That would put it second only to the University of Missouri-Columbia, which reported 611 such vehicles, among the state's public colleges.

Dobbins said that figure is high. He said Southeast has a total of 221 vehicles of all types ranging cars to dump trucks. The university has 67 cars.

By adding up the number of university-owned cars, vans, pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles, the 131 figure can be reached.

Dobbins said the university has no set policy for replacing vehicles after a certain number a miles, a point raised by McCaskill, and considers replacements on a case-by-case basis. Many high-mileage vehicles are restricted to campus, he said.

"I don't any abuses of university vehicles," Dobbins said. "We keep them as long as they are safe and economical to use, because they can be very expensive to replace."

The state Office of Administration, which oversees state facilities and the use of state property, plans to convene an interagency group to develop uniform state vehicle policies.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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