Sumter County commissioners are pressing for new leadership at the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Their comments about the agency Tuesday night came the day before a meeting where a new work plan for MPO director T.J. Fish, who has been in that role since 2005, was scheduled for presentation to the agency’s board. A representative of the Florida Department of Transportation also was expected to make recommendations at the meeting.
Last year, an internal audit questioned the MPO’s appropriate use of funds and found that employees were estimating rather than tracking time spent on grant activities. The agency also came under the scrutiny of the FDOT.
The Lake-Sumter MPO is the lead agency for regional transportation issues in Lake and Sumter counties. The decade-old agency helps to allocate millions of road project dollars each year.
“If there are not major changes and additional guidance put in place, we’re not going to accept it,” said board chairman Doug Gilpin. “It’s not appropriate and it’s not going to continue.”
He said the MPO’s problems are chronic and not confined to the past year.
Other commissioners said they agree with Gilpin.
“Roads are crucial to our success,” said Commissioner Al Butler. “We can’t afford a second-class administration.”
“There’s a documented history of bad management,” said Commissioner Garry Breeden. “It has to be fixed.”
Commissioner Don Burgess, who serves on the MPO”s executive committee, said he expressed the county’s views about the agency at a committee meeting earlier this week.