February 28, 2012
Bruce Warner, Chair
TriMet Board of Directors
4012 SE 17th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97202
Re: TriMet Lift Audit
Dear Chair Warner,
At the February 22, 2012 TriMet Board of Directors’ Meeting, you
indicated that yourself and other Board members were interested in
learning more about the 2008 Lift Audit report prepared by Lauka and
Associates, Certified Public Accountants. That was welcome news.
TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane, at the same Board meeting, made
comments suggesting that TriMet managers were going to come up with
their own numbers. That was not so welcome news.
Until the 2008 Audit, TriMet and ATU 757 had long been at odds as to
the actual cost of providing paratransit services in-house, as compared
to providing such service through private contractors. TriMet and the
Union could never agree on the model and methodology to be used in
performing a true cost analysis, which ultimately led to the provision
set forth in the parties’ 1998 collective bargaining agreement requiring
the audit to be performed. As I have previously mentioned, the Lift
audit did not actually get completed until 2008 because of years of
litigation which ultimately forced TriMet to comply.
Prior to commencement of the audit, TriMet’s General Manager at the
time, Fred Hansen, and his leadership committee had to agree to the
methodology the audit would cover. TriMet’s Chief Financial Officer,
Dave Auxier, was personally involved in directing and approving each
step of the audit procedure. It took considerable time and negotiations
for the parties to agree on the audit parameters.
TriMet taxpayers need to know the truth. If it is less cost for
TriMet to operate paratransit service in-house, than it costs for
private contractors to provide the service, it should be a no brainer.
To rely on TriMet management’s analysis as to what the audit represents,
takes the parties back to the pre-1998 agreement argument, and simply,
would not be credible.
We propose that TriMet and the Union jointly direct Lauka &
Associates to update the audit, providing them with the 2005 through
2011 TriMet budget numbers, pursuant and in compliance with the 1998
collective bargaining agreement. Lauka & Associates would present
their findings before a public meeting of the TriMet Board of Directors,
providing all parties the opportunity to ask questions regarding the
audit findings. This is transparency. This is what the TriMet Board of
Directors should demand.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Hunt
President-Business Representative
cc: TriMet Board Members
ATU members
ATU Communication sent to the TriMet Board of Directors regarding the Lift Audit | Portland Transit Workers Voice
1 comment:
Now where's that letter to Gov. Kitzhaber asking him why he didn't replace Lynn Lehrbach with an appointee who also had a Labor background?
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