? “The Department did not include statutorily required information in the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Plan, including more than $1 billion carried forward from prior years, and construction and maintenance project information.”

? “The Budget Plan did not accurately reflect federal highway funding. In Fiscal Year 2017, the Department received $718.6 million in federal funding-about $43.7 million more than was included in the approved Budget Plan.”

? The department’s budget practices delayed “the release of $29.3 million in budgeted construction funds for projects we reviewed.”

Every aspect of the report details an agency that has managed public funds with a lack of accountability and transparency.

“Incomplete information reduces the effectiveness of the budget plan as a management tool and decreases transparency and accountability of the department’s budget,” explains the auditor’s report. “The information that we found missing from the budget, such as the amount of funds the Department expects to carry forward from prior years, its total construction budget, and projects in progress or planned, are fundamental aspects of the Department’s financial planning and would help policymakers make more informed decisions and hold the Department accountable.”

These problems occurred under former Gov. John Hickenlooper, a candidate for president, and his transportation director. Gov. Jared Polis and his new director, Shoshana Lew, must straighten out these problems immediately and improve the culture of CDOT.

Our roads and bridges are essential to the state’s economy. More importantly, they are a matter of life and death. Straighten out CDOT. Start by correcting the books and giving the public a clear view of the money available to fix our roads.