Report 2014-107 Recommendation 9 Responses

Report 2014-107: Judicial Branch of California: Because of Questionable Fiscal and Operational Decisions, the Judicial Council and the Administrative Office of the Courts Have Not Maximized the Funds Available for the Courts (Release Date: January 2015)

Recommendation #9 To: Administrative Office of the Courts

To reduce its expenses, the AOC should conduct a cost-benefit analysis for maintaining its pool of vehicles. If the analysis finds that the cost of maintaining the vehicles outweighs the costs of having its employees use other means of transportation, such as their personal vehicles, the AOC should reduce the number of vehicles it owns and leases. Also, the AOC should track and periodically inventory the vehicles in its fleet.

6-Month Agency Response

Utilizing the established policies and standards of the State of California's Department of General Services, council staff developed a Judicial Council Fleet Vehicle Policy that includes internal control guidelines on conducting a cost-benefit analysis prior to acquiring a vehicle as well as internal controls on the overall management of the fleet vehicles. The policy was used to conduct an analysis on the current fleet inventory of 46 vehicles and it was determined that based on the miles driven or utilization rate in 2014, the Judicial Council's fleet vehicle inventory should remain at 46 vehicles. These vehicles are used principally to support personnel responsible for statewide court facility maintenance in all 58 counties and court construction projects. An assessment of the fleet inventory will occur on a fiscal year basis.

(Judicial Council Fleet Vehicle Policy is submitted as supporting documentation)

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

60-Day Agency Response

Council staff identified 22 (one-third) of its 66 fleet vehicles to be eliminated based on an assessment drawing, in part, on Department of General Services policies on fleet vehicles as well as an assessment of vehicle mileage and the number of vehicles at each work location.

A fleet vehicle policy that will include internal control guidelines on conducting a cost-benefit analysis prior to acquiring a vehicle as well as an inventory tracking process is being developed. The guidelines will be used to analyze the remaining fleet inventory, (which is principally supporting personnel responsible for statewide court facility maintenance in all 58 counties and court construction projects), to determine if additional reductions are warranted. The analysis will be completed and any further changes implemented in the third quarter of 2015.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2014-107

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.