Robert Foster, a Republican from DeSoto County, asked why the department didn’t do more maintenance contracting. Foster stated that there are redundancies and that he expected the government to have more than a private company. Foster stated that Foster believes that if a private company were in the maintenance business, they would be more efficient. They might have all the people they need and do a better job taking care the site. “It would be more expensive for them to send out a second crew.” Melinda McGrath, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, replied that some maintenance work is contracted out. McGrath stated that her analysis of the department budget revealed that the state saved money by having in-house maintenance staff, compared to other states. McGrath stated that the first priority was to maximize federal dollars. She said that the key questions to ask when evaluating the best way to do the work is “would it (cost us less) and do we have enough staff to complete the work.” Philip Gunn, a speaker, asked if the department could cut costs by outsourcing its engineering needs. McGrath stated that many department employees are losing their jobs between the fifth and tenth years of service due to higher wages in the private sector. McGrath explained that federal regulations require the department to have at least one in-house engineer in order to be eligible for grants. McGrath stated that more than half of the Department of Transportation budget comes from federal funds. She also cited similar restrictions. McGrath stated that more than half of the Department of Transportation’s budget comes from federal funds with similar stipulations.