Posted on Wed, Dec. 20, 2006

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DOT chief taking buyout

Mabry's retirment comes after audit said Transportation Department wasted $50 million

By RODDIE A. BURRIS

rburris@thestate.com

FILE/THE STATE

Elizabeth Mabry

• Elizabeth Mabry’s tenure

Embattled state Transportation Department head Elizabeth Mabry retired Tuesday.

Mabry quit after a state audit, released last month, said the Transportation Department wasted $50 million.

“Now, some healing can begin,” said Transportation commission chairman Tee Hooper, who had called for Mabry’s dismissal.

However, lawmakers did not appear to be in the mood for healing.

“This is the best thing that could have happened for the taxpayers of South Carolina,” said state Rep. Annette Young, R-Dorchester. “It was long overdue.”

Mabry retired after the Transportation Department’s board of commissioners unanimously agreed to buy out the remaining nine months of tenure she needed to complete 28 years of service and retire with full benefits.

The buyout will cost taxpayers about $45,000. It becomes effective Dec. 31. Mabry, 59, has been on medical leave all month. She is being tested and treated for a long-standing sickness, Hooper said.

State highway engineer Tony Chapman will serve as the agency’s acting director.

After years of turmoil within the $1.2 billion-a-year department, a Legislative Audit Council report found the agency wasted more than $50 million and conspired to hide money from the Legislature, along with a host of other findings — 41 in all.

The audit covered about 20 percent of the department’s operations, legislators said.

Young chaired a hearing Tuesday of a special House study committee investigating the audit report’s findings. Citing conflicting statements from Transportation Department officials, Young requested that the agency’s seven commissioners testify under oath.

The House committee will hold another hearing on the issue today, this time hearing from the public. At least 31 people have signed up to speak, the committee announced.

Gov. Mark Sanford has long wanted to make the transportation department, which oversees road and bridge projects in the state, a Cabinet agency, with its director appointed by the governor.

“We don’t believe the departure of the executive director fixes what’s wrong with (the transportation department),” said spokesman Joel Sawyer.

Mabry was characterized as having a stranglehold on information and decisions made by the department, keeping commissioners who appointed her in the dark about major decisions.

Mabry was not available for comment Tuesday.

Employees operated under fear and intimidation by Mabry, some commissioners said.

Now, commissioners are asking transportation employees to help clean up the department.

“I think employees need to come forward,” said commissioner Hugh Atkins, “and I assure you there will be no retaliation.”

The Associated Press contributed.

About Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Mabry

Title: Executive director of the S.C. Department of Transportation

Age: 59

Education: Bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of South Carolina

Professional: With DOT since 1983. She worked as an agency lawyer before being tapped to lead the agency in 1996.

Annual salary: $146,175

Personal: Married, two children, five grandchildren

WHAT’S NEXT

• State highway engineer Tony Chapman, interim director of the Department of Transportation since director Elizabeth Mabry took medical leave earlier this month, will continue until a replacement is named.

• The seven Transportation commissioners, appointed by the governor and legislative delegations from each congressional district, will select a permanent director.

• Legislative panels will continue their hearings into the November audit of the agency and make recommendations to the General Assembly. Gov. Mark Sanford wants to place DOT under his direct control.

To that end, the House DOT Study Committee will hold a public meeting at 10 a.m. today in Room 101 of the Blatt Building at the State House complex.