Senate Republicans are stepping up to fix what Democrats have ignored for years: accountability at the Oregon Department of Transportation. Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) and House Speaker Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) have tapped Senator Bruce Starr (R-Dundee), a veteran transportation policy leader, to lead the development of accountability recommendations, which he will present to the Joint Committee on Transportation in March.

For years, ODOT has faced ballooning costs, project delays, and budget shortfalls—not just because of fuel efficiency improvements or increased electric vehicle use, as Democrats claim, but because of mismanagement and a lack of oversight. The Statesman Journal recently exposed troubling questions about how funds from the 2017 transportation package were spent, underscoring the need for serious reforms before lawmakers ask taxpayers to foot the bill for another round of funding.

A Statesman Journal investigation found inconsistencies in ODOT reports, incomplete project information on the agency's website, and a lack of required cost-benefit analyses for certain projects. Accountability measures in the legislation included the Continuous Improvement Advisory Committee and mandatory reports to ensure transparency and project oversight. An audit revealed ODOT overestimated revenue, couldn't track some funds and experienced project delays and cost increases.

Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) said, “Turning to Republicans for help fixing this problem is the ultimate admission that Democrats lack the vision, creativity, and resolve to reform an agency riddled with mismanagement and misplaced priorities. But if Democrats are only looking for cover to justify another tax hike, we won't be their scapegoat. Governor Kotek’s default response to every problem is to raise taxes, but Oregonians shouldn’t be forced to pay more just to subsidize this agency’s failures, especially when they’ve made it clear they can’t afford more taxes.”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

"Tapping a Republican with decades of transportation policy experience is a wise move, but only if Democrats are serious about solving this problem,” Bonham continued. “A real solution will require a conservative approach: rooting out waste and corruption at ODOT and making a complete 180-degree turn from the status quo. By asking Republicans to step in, Democrats have accepted the reality that ODOT is in a state of abject failure. Now, they have a choice: work with us to implement real reforms or prove they were never serious about accountability in the first place.”

“The recommendations we make will require difficult decisions, but if we don’t get this right, Oregonians will be stuck with mismanaged projects, deteriorating roads, and higher costs—again,” said Senator Starr. “It’s time for real change and the accountability taxpayers deserve.”


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-02-17 05:03:37

Last Update: 2025-02-16 21:47:09