LINCOLN- State government is paying about 37% more to lease commercial office space for employees today than five years ago — a hike from $16 million to $22 million that the Nebraska state auditor described Monday as “far more than necessary.”

“It is important to note that this ongoing acceleration in the cost of renting government office space has occurred despite the number of state employees remaining relatively unchanged,” State Auditor Mike Foley said in a statement. Foley, saying that he doubted that the rising costs would abate any time soon, outlined his office’s concerns in a letter Monday to the Legislature’s Legislative Performance Audit Committee.

Foley added he was surprised to learn during the review that the state leases 1.5 million square feet in 193 commercially owned buildings in 37 Nebraska counties. His team offered recommendations “to avoid throwing taxpayer dollars down the drain in excessive rental payments,” including a possible study on whether the state should consider the purchase or lease-purchase of additional buildings and whether another state office building should be constructed in Lincoln.

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