The state Department of Transportation Commission will seek an independent review of agency operations in an attempt to save taxpayers’ money and improve the management of nearly 42,000 miles of roads and 8,200 bridges.

The commission this week also gave a vote of confidence to the agency’s executive director. Both actions, commissioners said, were prompted by a critical letter written last month by commission chairman Tee Hooper.

In the letter, Hooper questioned the agency’s management and said he would ask executive director Elizabeth Mabry to resign if he had the authority.

The letter detailed several allegations, including:

• That costly sports utility vehicles were supplied to high-level employees

• That the agency hadn’t claimed more than $145 million available in federal funding

• That the department wasted money by sending 260 employees to a bike and pedestrian conference in Myrtle Beach

Mabry has denied the allegations, and lawmakers rallied to her defense, sending petitions of support.

After a closed-door meeting with Mabry, the commissioners voted 6-0 to “publicly acknowledge their support” for the executive director. There was no discussion, and Hooper, who only votes in the event of a tie, didn’t vote or comment.

Commissioner Marion Carnell then asked the board to approve a resolution seeking “an independent evaluation” of the agency’s operations “with the intent of showing us how we can do it better.”

The proposal gave no details as to who would do the review, how much it would cost or exactly what they would look at. The motion also passed unanimously without any discussion.

Hooper said he welcomed the independent review.

“Looking into the issues that have been raised is an appropriate thing to do,” he said. “It helps clear the air.”

Gov. Mark Sanford’s spokesman, Will Folks, said the review is a good idea, but the board should have spelled out how it would be done. “It would be a bit more comforting to have a clear sense of who would be conducting that inquiry.”

Carnell said the review would look at Hooper’s concerns but that doesn’t mean the commissioners think anyone at the agency has intentionally done something wrong.