As California Marks Anniversary of Parks Scandal, New Examples of Improper State Spending Emerge
April marks one year since the public was first made
aware of the improper vacation buybacks for staff at the Department of
Parks and Recreation. As the California Budget Fact Check has previously found,
this revelation ultimately led to the disclosure that the Department
had hid $54 million in taxpayer dollars from the Department of Finance
and the Legislature.
Facing increased scrutiny from the Legislature, the news
media and citizens groups, one would expect that state government
departments would act with greater accountability in the glare of the
public eye.
But last week, the State Auditor found that there are
serious questions about the operations of the special license plate
program, specifically that:
- State officials did not collect $22 million in fees from motorists who have a special plate on their vehicle.
- The state overcharged the license plate program by $2.1 million annually for overhead costs, reducing funding available for the targeted programs.
- The Auditor’s report raises additional questions about spending and accountability at the Department of Parks and Recreation.
