Audit all state agencies

Gov. Charlie Baker needs to set the Mass Cultural Council straight, once and for all.

As the Boston Herald’s Brooks Sutherland and Joe Dwinell have been reporting, the council racked up $3,700 in take-out meals from a Davio’s in its upscale St. James Avenue office building over a 10-month period. Also, Anita Walker, the $174,700-a-year director, drives a state-leased Toyota Prius, which is gassed up and parked on the public dime.

As if that weren’t bad enough, financial reports show the council spent thousands on hotels in lavish spots around the nation.

The council on Tuesday voted to adopt Baker administration guidelines on credit card use and out-of-state travel “to the extent appropriate and applicable.” It’s a start. But what about the Prius?

Earlier this week Baker called on agencies such as the Mass Cultural Council to voluntarily abide by administration policies limiting state-leased vehicles, but indicated it was the job of lawmakers to rein them in.

Baker said Monday the Legislature could write the oversight policies into law. “If you do that with a statute, obviously it has much more force than anything we can do,” Baker told the Herald. “Anything you can do with a statute creates a requirement.”

House and Senate leaders say they’ll work with Baker next session to clamp down on spending at the embattled council.

“If the governor is interested in updating the council’s enabling law, the House would be happy to work with the Administration and consider any proposed changes,” Catherine Williams, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo’s spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Senate President Karen Spilka also is “willing to work with the House to take a look at this next session,” spokeswoman Sarah Blodgett said yesterday in a statement.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones also backed the idea of having one blanket policy for state-leased cars. “I strongly support Gov. Baker’s suggestion that the Legislature take steps to implement a statewide policy on the proper use of state-leased vehicles,” he said in a statement. “Having a clear and concise policy that applies to all agencies would protect taxpayer dollars while also creating more fiscal accountability and transparency throughout state government.”

Now that everyone’s on the same page it’s time for Baker to lead. Chances are slim to none that the situation at the Mass Cultural Council is a one-off and the irresponsible spending is confined to St. James Avenue. A comprehensive audit of all state agencies should be conducted.