County audit finds governance, funding and inflation risks in MSTIP; nine recommendations issued

The Washington County auditor presented an audit of the Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program (MSTIP) during the board meeting of Jan. 21, 2025, finding the program is not authorized in county code, lacks board-adopted policies and faces significant inflation, contingency and funding risks.

The audit, public-released Dec. 20 and summarized by County Auditor Christine Adams Swanberg, examined MSTIP’s objectives, risk profile and past funding cycles. Swanberg said the report identified seven audit findings and nine recommendations aimed at improving governance, cost estimating, equity treatment, contingency practices and design approval authority.

Auditor’s nut graf: why the audit matters The MSTIP 3 fund — the most recent program cycle reviewed — had a modified expenditure budget of about $301,000,000 in the current fiscal year, and auditors concluded that the program’s legal and administrative footing, plus past estimating practices, leave it vulnerable to inflation, project delays and uneven treatment of projects across the county.

What the audit examined and found Senior management auditor Fiona Howell Earl described the audit’s methods: interviews with elected officials and staff, a stakeholder survey (65% response rate) and reviews of county charter, code and MSTIP administrative procedures. The audit identified 17 perceived risks and condensed its findings into seven audit…