By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee said the transit agency Metro is determined to avoid state oversight at the same time it's seeking more state money.
In a letter to Governor Matt Blunt Tuesday, she asked for help in forcing Metro to comply with a state audit.
Blunt requested the audit in 2005, following millions in cost overruns with the MetroLink expansion. Now, Metro wants the governor to sign a tax exemption for bus fuel.
In a letter to Blunt, Montee said accountability should be part of any financial assistance. But her spokesman Sean Spence said Metro is still not cooperating.
"There's a significant amount of information that they are barring us access to because of closed meeting rules that do not apply in this case," Spence said.
Metro officials have said they are complying with the audit. But they have also said handing over certain documents would jeopardize a lawsuit against the contractors they blame for the construction problems.