Bill pitches overhaul of turnpike authority
A bill introduced yesterday aims to restructure the Maine Turnpike Authority in the wake of a report that questioned the authority's spending.
The bill, LD 1538, proposes a number of changes to the quasi-governmental authority, including requiring Senate confirmation of its executive director, according to MaineToday Media. Currently, the board of directors has sole authority over choosing the director. The bill also requires the authority to submit spending budgets and transfer 5% of its annual operating revenue to the Maine Department of Transportation to be used on projects within 25 miles of turnpike interchanges. Board members who engage in gross misconduct and financial malfeasance could be removed under the bill.
MTA has been under fire since January, when a report from the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability scrutinized its spending habits, including expensive restaurants and hotels, and recommended more oversight. Longtime MTA Executive Director Paul Violette resigned in March amid controversy over $157,000 the authority spent in gift certificates, the bulk of which were not documented. Peter Mills is serving as interim executive director and has instituted a number of changes, including ceasing the hire of outside lobbyists, canceling the annual employees' banquet and ending charitable donations in efforts to rein in spending and increase transparency.
A hearing on the bill is scheduled for today at 1 p.m.
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