Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ claims of saving $9.3 million by abolishing the state’s Central Motor Pool and selling off state vehicles can’t be proven, a new state audit released today said. Sebelius’ office defended her figures.

And the audit questioned figures used by the administration in its attempt to get rid of the “Vanpool” program, a state-run commuter system.

Senate President Dave Kerr, a Republican from Hutchinson, said the audit showed the Sebelius administration “did not look before it leaped.”

The audit also stated that Sebelius’ Department of Administration failed to do a cost-benefit analysis on the long-term budget effects of getting rid of the motor pool.

“This is no way to run state government,” state Sen. Derek Schmidt, a Republican from Independence, said.

But Sebelius’ administration was unapologetic, saying the savings were real, and the policy decisions had to be made to reduce a bloated fleet of 8,784 state-owned vehicles that Sebelius had inherited.

Administration Secretary Howard Fricke said the decisions were a “no-brainer.” And Sebelius’ budget director Duane Goossen said the savings have been built into Sebelius proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. “Let’s not trivialize $9 million,” he said.

Goossen said dissolving the motor pool will save $5.1 million, a two-year moratorium ordered by Sebelius on car purchases will save another $3.2 million, and the sale of 730 cars that were deemed unnecessary will generate another $1 million.

The audit, however, said several factors may affect the projected savings, including whether it will cost more for state employees to rent cars, or be reimbursed for use of their personal cars, instead of using a state-owned vehicle.

Democratic legislators, however, rose to Sebelius’ defense, noting that the fleet of state-owned vehicles had ballooned under Republican administrations and while Kerr was chairman of the Senate budget-writing committee.

“They didn’t get their job done,” state Sen. Chris Steineger, D-Kansas City, said. “It’s too bad that Howard Fricke is catching heck for trying to fix it.”

Kerr said Steineger was “blowing smoke.”

For more on this story, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Journal-World.