Citizen Portal
Sign In

Committee flags AOT staffing, project delays and bid-cost issues as transportation budget scrutiny begins

Transportation Committee (legislative) ยท January 15, 2026

Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts

Subscribe
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Representative White and other members pressed for a comprehensive AOT project list, noted the agency's roughly 1,100 employees and raised concerns about construction delays, higher supply costs and aggregate bidding; members also asked why the detailed "black book" may not be available.

Representative White asked the committee on Jan. 15 whether staff had requested a comprehensive list of Agency of Transportation projects and programs to inform questions during the AOT budget review. Representative White said understanding project-level detail would help members assess why some line items differ year to year.

Members discussed the complexity of AOT funding streams (federal funds, state T funds and other restricted sources) and the difficulty for newer legislators in tracking which programs can move funds and which cannot. Unidentified Speaker 1 said the white book will contain program-level detail; members voiced concern that the traditional "black book" (detailed staffing and salary data) may not be delivered in the same format this year.

Local project examples and construction timing were cited as reasons per-project costs vary year to year. Unidentified Speaker 7 described a bridge project that missed a temporary-bridge goal of Dec. 1 and remained incomplete on Jan. 15 because weather delayed the right paving temperature for macadam, which can increase costs and prolong timelines. Members also raised aggregate bid and procurement questions, asking the department to explain cost drivers and bid variability.

No formal votes or motions were taken during the session. The committee scheduled the secretary's presentation and department head testimony next week and encouraged members to use the forthcoming question checklist when pressing AOT officials for program lists, staffing and procurement detail.