As part of the California Department of Motor Vehicles' ambitious effort to improve its reputation for long lines and shoddy customer service, DMV is expanding the hours of 53 field offices. A couple of caveats: It's only one more hour per day of operation, and it's being applied only to...
All DMVs to Close 1 Day for Training. Will That Fix Long Lines?
California's Department of Motor Vehicles, slammed in a state audit for slipshod customer service and being poorly prepared for the rollout of federally approved driver's licenses, will close its offices statewide for a half-day to train staff on doing a better job. The closure will happen Wednesday, July 24, so...
Audit: Cal State System Stashed $1.5 Billion, Still Raised Tuition
SAN FRANCISCO — California's state auditor says the California State University system kept $1.5 billion in discretionary reserves while raising tuition at its 23 campuses and lobbying the Legislature for more funds. Auditor Elaine Howle says in a report released Thursday that CSU put the money, which came primarily from...
State Workers Misspent $427,000 in Taxpayer Money, Audit Finds. One Binged on YouTube at Work.
SACRAMENTO — A California Department of Transportation manager commuted some 450 miles to work — from San Diego to Sacramento — for two years and the state paid for it, according to an audit released Tuesday. An administrator at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla watched thousands of YouTube videos at...
Questions Remain About Granite Park, Repayments to Cox
For the first time since a city audit questioned Granite Park's bookkeeping practices, a City Hall official says the nonprofit overseeing the sports park is in good standing. “Our legal opinion is that the nonprofit is in substantial compliance with its contract obligations,” city attorney Douglas Sloan said. The verdict...
Audit Finds Poor Planning Led to California DMV Issues
SACRAMENTO — California's Department of Motor Vehicles didn't properly prepare for customers lining up to get new federally approved drivers' licenses, leading to hours-long wait times last year, state auditors said Wednesday. But the long lines that angered motorists and state lawmakers alike merely highlighted significant underlying weaknesses including outdated...
Audit Shows Fresno Lost $250,000 in Parking Revenue
A city of Fresno internal audit has revealed that a “lack of standard monitoring procedures” led to a potential loss of nearly $250,000 in parking revenue. The audit, dated Feb. 15 and received by GV Wire via a source with access to the report, listed five areas in which the...
City Audit Uncovers Problems With Granite Park Bookkeeping
A public-private partnership that helped turn a city eyesore into its fulfilled vision of beautiful sports fields may have hit a snag. A city audit says the non-profit company hired to run embattled Granite Park had a number of accounting irregularities. The audit stopped short of stating it found anything...
Jim Patterson: Newsom Is Right to Order DMV Overhaul
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has been a source of frustration for employees and customers for as long as anyone can remember. I started pushing for major reforms of this department in 2016 when my office was flooded with calls from truck driving students who were waiting 12 weeks to...
Brown's Last Act Includes Keeping High-Speed Rail Leaders
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown reappointed two leaders of California's embattled high-speed rail board on Wednesday, days before leaving office. He gave Dan Richard of Piedmont and Tom Richards of Fresno fresh four-year terms on the board of directors that oversees the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which is tasked with...