This past month, State Auditor Tom Schweich issued a report on the flight operations of state agencies. Currently, three agencies operate the state’s aircraft fleet: the Missouri State Highway Patrol; the Missouri Department of Transportation; and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The departments of conservation and transportation are the only state agencies that regularly fly governor-appointed commissioners to meetings.

In his report, Schweich estimated that the two departments could have saved approximately $294,000 of taxpayer money by paying mileage for commissioners to attend meetings like other state departments. Additionally, the departments could have saved $122,000 by using the state planes instead of charter flights. When using charter flights, the state planes were available 67 percent of the time.
These findings are especially troubling, considering the 2013 audit of MDC, which found that the Conservation Commission had spent a total of $3,381,615 to introduce 129 elk to the state, despite budgeting only $411,000 for the project. The project also fell short on its goal of bringing 150 elk to the state.

The 2013 audit also found that the Conservation Commission spent $74,040 on pay raises for seven department directors and chiefs in 2012, including a $20,004 (or 17 percent) pay raise for the department’s director. Additionally, the report states that “two [of the department’s four commissioners] did not report serving as board members of not-for-profit organizations on their financial disclosure statements, as required by state law. The commission contracts with both not-for-profit organizations.”

In addition to troubling audits in 2013 and 2014, the Conservation Commission proposed a budget increase of $15 million for 2016. The budget proposal, which only provided a three-line summary of expenses, explained the $15 million dollar increase was needed “for increased operating costs.” Comparatively, the Missouri Department of Agriculture, which has a budget of less than $40 million, provided a nine-page summary of its budget for the 2016 fiscal year.

Despite troubling findings from recent audits, the Conservation Commission continues to defend its fiscally irresponsible management of the MDC. A majority of the department’s budget comes from permit fees set by the department and a sales tax, which was approved by less than two percent of the vote in 1976. The sales tax has not been voted on since. In response to the actions of the Conservation Commission, I have filed Senate Bills 56, 178 and 337, as well as Senate Joint Resolution 1.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office. Thank you.