Louisiana Legislative Auditor
Daryl G. Purpera, CPA, CFE

February 20, 2017

Investigation Finds City of Scott Improperly Trading In Surplus Vehicles

An investigation into complaints related to the City of Scott’s procedures for disposing of municipal vehicles found that the City has no written policies in place to handle the disposal of surplus vehicles and may have violated state law by trading them in to a local dealership, the Legislative Auditor said in a report released today.

Investigative auditors found that the City had disposed of several surplus vehicles by trading them in at a car dealership and using the value received to offset the cost of new vehicles. The city manager told auditors that the City has traded in surplus vehicles for several years because there are very few public auctions.

However, a Louisiana attorney general’s opinion concludes that political subdivisions of the state may dispose of surplus property only through a public auction, an Internet computer auction, a public sale, or a donation to another political subdivision or law enforcement agency.

In addition, auditors found that the City’s police chief personally bought a pickup truck the City had previously traded in, which could be a violation of state ethics laws. The police chief also may have violated a City ordinance that forbids municipal employees from buying any City property that has been sold or is to be sold.

For more information contact:

Legislative Auditor
225.339.3800



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Office of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor | www.LLA.La.gov