Public lands commission not very organized, audit finds

The state auditor's office reports that the commission in charge of California's public lands hasn't always kept track of what's happening there.

Think of the state lands commission as a landlord for California's public spaces. Companies lease property rights from the state, and should pay for them. But an audit just released indicates that for decades, the state has failed to collect $8 million in rents, royalties and fees related to its property.

That number represents a small sample of leases the audit reviewed. California’s lost more money than that, auditors say, because the state has failed to increase fees as its property has appreciated in value. The commission includes the lieutenant governor, a controller and a finance director.

Together they manage a state-paid staff of just over five dozen people. Just as at other state authorities, budget cuts have steadily eliminated jobs; commissioners say that’s left their agency short-handed. But the auditor's office says the remaining staff can still do plenty.

Commission representatives say they're already computerizing records and performing more frequent appraisals of land deals.