Skip to main content

Catching Up: SCDOT Executive Director Mabry Resigns (December 2006)

Image
By
In the midst of moving back to NC and the Christmas holiday, I missed this news story out of South Carolina.

This past December, SCDOT Executive Director Elizabeth (Betty) Mabry resigned in the face of increasing pressure from an audit of the organization.

The audit which was released in November showed that SCDOT wasted over $50 million dollars over a three year period (2002-2005). The heat on Mabry was turned up a few notches as a result of the audit. The loudest calls for her resignation came from the Transportation Commission Chairperson, Tee Hooper. Hooper had been calling for her resignation since March 2005.

His complaints of mismanagement of funds and lowering the agency's morale in February 2005 led to the audit of the agency. Part of his complaint also included a claim that Mabry passed up on the chance to receive $145 million in federal funding.

Immediately after his first calls for resignation, the transportation commission voted unanimously (6-0) in support of Mabry. Hooper in his role only votes in a tie.

After the audit was released, Mabry was adamant in defending her record. “No, I don’t intend to resign at all and I don’t believe that would be in the best interest of the agency,” Mabry said.

She also pointed to her various successes including the 27 in 7 program. 27 years of projects being completed in seven years. She also questioned his past role with HomeGold the parent company of Carolina Investors. The company went bankrupt in 2003 costing more than 8,000 people their jobs. Her concern that Hooper -- appointed by Governor Mark Sanford -- was trying to put the agency under more control of the governor and tarnishing SCDOT's reputation.

However in December, while Mabry was on sick leave, two DOT employees testified in front of a state Senate panel that they were ordered to hide cash balances. A State House panel then directs the state attorney general to investigate the matter. Mabry would resign December 19th after over 20 years with SCDOT.

State highway engineer Tony Chapman was named and currently serves as Interim Executive Director.

Sources: Elizabeth Mabry's Tenure (timeline) ---The State
SCDOT Director Refuses to Step Down ---Construction Equipment Guide (Associated Press)
SCDOT Chairman Calls for Mabry's Resignation ---Construction Equipment Guide (Associated Press)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I-40 rockslide uncovers old debates on highway

By
The Asheville Citizen-Times continues to do a great job covering all the angles of the Interstate 40 Haywood County rock slide. An article in Sunday's edition provides a strong historical perspective on how the Pigeon River routing of Interstate 40 came about. And perhaps most strikingly, in an article that ran just prior to the highway's opening in the fall of 1968, how engineers from both Tennessee and North Carolina warned "...that slides would probably be a major problem along the route for many years." On February 12, 1969, not long after the Interstate opened, the first rock slide that would close I-40 occurred. Like many other Interstates within North Carolina, Interstate 40 through the mountains has a history prior to formation of the Interstate Highway System and was also a heated political battle between local communities. The discussion for a road that would eventually become Interstate 40 dates back to the 1940's as the idea for interregional high
2 comments
Read more

Interstate 210 the Foothill Freeway

By
The combined Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor of the Foothill Freeway is approximately 85.31-miles.  The Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor begins at Interstate 5 at the northern outskirts of Los Angeles and travels east to Interstate 10 in Redlands of San Bernardino County.  Interstate 210 is presently signed on the 44.9-mile segment of the Foothill Freeway between Interstate 5 and California State Route 57.  California State Route 210 makes up the remaining 40.41 miles of the Foothill Freeway east to Interstate 10.  Interstate 210 is still classified by the Federal Highway Administration as existing on what is now signed as California State Route 57 from San Dimas south to Interstate 10.  The focus of this blog will mostly be on the history of Interstate 210 segment of the Foothill Freeway.   Part 1; the history of Interstate 210 and California State Route 210 Interstate 210 (I-210) was approved as a chargeable Interstate during September of
Post a Comment
Read more

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

By
When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River.  Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207.   Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road.   The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939.   Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune .  Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903.  The postal name was sourced from Bates Station owner/operator George Ba
Post a Comment
Read more