Acounty audit concluded that West Hawaii drivers are paying their share of gas taxes, but are being shortchanged by a county highway repair formula based on miles of roadway, not by how heavily the roads are used, West Hawaii Today reported.

The 115-page report, released Tuesday by the county's legislative auditor, said the county Department of Public Works is ripe for misappropriation and malfeasance because of inadequate controls over its $27.5 million highway fund.

The audit covers the two-year period ending June 30, 2008.

"We would agree that there are improvements that can be made to our existing internal control system and we are working on making those improvements," said Public Works Deputy Director Tim Esaki.

The county has wasted millions of dollars by outsourcing its dry well and culvert-cleaning duties, most recently to an employee who also holds a full-time job as a division head within the department, the audit notes.

The county paid the employee's company $1.2 million in the 2008-09 fiscal year that ended June 30, and $1.3 million the year before that. A brand-new debris truck costing $260,000 and two full-time employees would have cost less than half that, the audit said.