New Orleans Aviation Board Failed to Implement Ground Fleet Audit Recommendations

October 20, 2011

NEW ORLEANS - The City of New Orleans Inspector General (OIG) released a report Oct. 18 on a follow-up review of a 2009 review of the New Orleans Aviation Board (NOAB) vehicle fleet. In 2009, the NOAB promised to implement all of the auditors' nine recommendations for fleet improvement. A follow-up review determined that NOAB has implemented only two of the nine recommendations, according to the OIG.

The NOAB did not have effective controls over fuel use and records, did not properly record or report personal use of take-home vehicles, and did not use the proper method to calculate the value of the fringe benefit of the take home vehicles. NOAB purchased but did not use a fuel monitoring and tracking system, did not comply with City requirements for inventory, and did not have controls in place over the disposal of vehicles. NOAB also failed to perform periodic driver's license checks of employees operating vehicles. The NOAB did decrease the number of take-home vehicles substantially and employees assigned take-home vehicles appeared to be on call 24-hours a day, in compliance with policy.

The NOAB told NOLA the current management was unaware of the audit and proposed reforms until the follow-up audit. The previous executive director resigned and no one on staff at the time of the audit in 2009 is currently on the management team.

The report stated OIG will perform a second follow-up on these recommendations in 2012.

A PDF of the report can be found here.