Hard options to fix DOT budget

Georgia’s top appointed transportation official recommended Friday that the board suspend millions of dollars in road projects, lay off hundreds of workers, eliminate unfilled jobs and cut spending on everything from hiring consultants to mowing lawns to repair a $456 million hole in the agency’s budget.

DOT Commissioner Gena Evans’ proposal met with stiff resistance from the board.

“Most of our employees have a hard enough time getting along now,” said board member Sam Wellborn.

Wellborn was one of several state transportation board members to react with dismay and outrage to the budget-cutting plan.

Evans, who spent more than two hours explaining the proposal to the board, said the panel’s options are limited and that time is growing short for the agency to present its fiscal 2009 budget to the state.

Board members said they wouldn’t be rushed into making a decision, and scheduled an Oct. 6 meeting to vote on the matter.

Last month, a department audit discovered a file of contracts and change orders totaling $360 million that had never been entered into the state’s accounting system.

Last week, auditors told the DOT board that the agency’s deficit totaled $456 million.

The Georgia Constitution does not allow the agency to run a deficit.

Evans said the agency could cover all but $189 million of the deficit through bond funding. For the remainder, she proposed cutting money allocated for computer equipment, cars, consultant contracts, $5 million in pay raises and $1.5 million health benefits for DOT employees.

Evans also recommended that the board cut up to $52 million in construction funding, more than half of which is slated for city and county road projects across the state. That, and/or layoff as many as 566 employees, roughly 10 percent of the work force; or, a combination of the two.

Board members found that choice untenable.

“Highway contractors big and small are on the verge of bankruptcy,” said board member David Doss.

“We’re in a crisis,” said Rudy Bowen. “We need to be putting people to work.”

Wellborn told Evans he would oppose every proposal that would affect DOT staff.

“I’m against anything that involves paying our employees less,” said Wellborn. “I am going to be opposed to all of them.”

During the meeting, exchanges between the DOT board and Evans turned testy at times. Several board members questioned the size of the deficit and proposed other, less painful, options for dealing the shortfall.

Evans said those options were illegal.

“If the board directs me not to follow the Constitution,” Evans said, “I’m not going to do that.” Evans wasn’t only state official to urge the board to act.

In a Sept. 24 letter to DOT board member Raybon Anderson, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, wrote, “Private businesses all across the country go through this same exercise when revenues drop … I urge you to take all appropriate action to reduce operational expenses, including consolidating functions and reducing personnel.”