Although problems have been identified, solutions may remain elusive.
A state audit of a division within the state Office of Administration (OA) found insufficient maintenance and inspections of state facilities, but recommendations acknowledged inadequate funding.
A 27-page audit of OA's Division of Facilities Management, Design and Construction by Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway included these findings:
Available funding has been insufficient to cover state facility capital improvement maintenance and repair needs, which ultimately will increase costs.
The division did not prepare and provide an annual capital improvement long-range plan to the governor during fiscal years 2002-13 as required by law.
The division doesn't perform periodic inspections of all state facilities as required by state law and state regulation.
Those findings read like an indictment - essentially, the division's failures violate state law and will increase costs for taxpayers.
But the audit acknowledges the division's limited funding and resources.
A key audit recommendation reads: "Continue to work with the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Division of Budget and Planning to ensure necessary capital improvement maintenance and repairs of state facilities are adequately funded in a timely manner."
Additional recommendations urge compliance with the law. The audit reads: "In addition, continue to prepare and provide a capital improvement long-range plan annually to the Governor as required by state law, and consider adding funding information and projections, and totals by priority, to the plan to provide information necessary for making decisions to address the state's maintenance and repair needs."
In response, the division wrote it has tried to comply with applicable laws and guidelines "even during challenging times."
State operations can only do the best possible job with the resources available.
Concerns about inadequate state funding have been focal points in recent news stories about state employee salaries, public schools and the state public defender system.
Budget fundamentals require choosing between decreasing spending or increasing revenues, largely taxes. Challenging times, indeed.