Audit: State-owned cars continue to be mismanaged

The agency tasked with handling the state's motor fleet continues to mismanage hundreds of state-owned vehicles, according to an audit released Wednesday.

WRAL Investigates has been looking into the operations of the Division of Motor Fleet Management for a decade, and the audit show that, despite much talk of reform, not much has changed over 10 years.

A major problem pointed out by WRAL Investigates in 2009 was that many cars and trucks assigned to state agencies were underused – they were collecting dust in some cases. The new audit confirms that's still a problem.

• NC shifting to smaller, more fuel-efficient state vehicles
• Thousands of NC permanent plates unaccounted for, misused

Thirty-six percent of the 793 vehicles permanently assigned to a state agency weren't driven the 12,600 miles per year to warrant an agency having sole use of the vehicle, according to the audit.

Former Govs. Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory called for changes to Motor Fleet Management rules, and McCrory suggested privatizing rentals.

But the audit shows the agency has little oversight over the vehicles it manages.

Sixty-one vehicles were found to be assigned to people who no longer work for state government, with some gone for as long as 10 years.

Mark Edwards, deputy secretary of the state Department of Administration, which includes Motor Fleet Management, said state agencies using the vehicles should be more accountable, but he ultimately agreed with the audit's findings and said the agency would work to better document and manage use of state-owned vehicles to improve efficiency.