JACKSONVILLE, FL — The city of Jacksonville will spend more than $8 million on gas alone this year, according to a report on WJXX TV First Coast News. The problem is city officials can't pinpoint who exactly is spending it, and how much each person is spending. With over 5,400 cars in service, the city uses more than six million gallons of gas a year. But First Coast News learned that the fuel and who actually uses it cannot be accounted for. The city council's chief financial auditor says the fleet management division has been "poorly mismanaged" for years, according to the television station. The First Coast News I-Team obtained a copy of a recent fleet division audit. The report notes significant weaknesses. One involves division use of commercial credit cards to charge for fuel. City councilwoman Faye Rustin, chair of the audit committee, said, "The way this system has been, anyone can use a card, and they could use it anyway they wanted because there are no checks and balances on it." Under the current system, the council auditor says determining proper fuel purchasing was impossible, an excessive number of cards existed, and expired cards from current and former employees were not being returned. The audit also found fleet management was not always reimbursed for repairs to vehicles under warranty. An inventory check also could not account for 36,000 parts worth more than $81,000. The division chief for fleet management has already taken steps to fix several of the issues. New managers have been hired to oversee the inventory and service departments. A new system to track fuel service has been instituted.
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