Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Fleet Costs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Appropriators debate doubling of Department of Agriculture fleet charges; lawmakers consider trimming request
Summary
The Department of Agriculture reported a roughly doubling of state fleet operating charges in its budget request; senators discussed the recent spike, suggesting a modest reduction to avoid exacerbating general-fund pressure while leaving agencies operationally able to meet travel costs.
Committee members pressed department officials on state fleet rate increases during the March 6 budget review.
Department testimony said state fleet operating rates and depreciation charges provided by State Fleet had grown since the last biennium. Commissioners and staff described an example of charges for larger vehicles and drill trucks with per-mile operating rates and monthly depreciation assessments; the department’s base for fleet was about $733,000 and the proposed increase would add roughly $760,000–$803,000 in the biennial budget.
Senators questioned whether actual fuel and operating costs had fallen since the agencies prepared budget projections and whether agencies had unspent motor-vehicle dollars that would roll back into operating lines. Grant and department staff said federal reimbursements are handled within grants and that agency operating dollars, if unexpended, are typically turned back at the biennial close. Several members suggested trimming the projected fleet increase modestly to reduce general-fund pressure, citing recent declines in fuel prices since last year’s projections.
The department said if a cut left an agency deficient, it could seek emergency supplemental funding from the Emergency Commission, but lawmakers expressed reluctance to rely on that route. Senators referenced prior instances where the committee approved reduced fleet increases for other agencies.
Ending: The committee discussed possible reductions to the fleet increase line to balance fiscal pressure against the risk of creating operating deficiencies; no final appropriation change was adopted at the hearing.
