There was a time when some municipal and county employees received take-home cars and free gas as perks. In some cases, the vehicle was a way of adding to a weak base salary.
Little was heard then about the vehicles because property taxes were relatively low and government could afford the cars and fuel. Although that time has long passed, many units of government haven't received the message.
Lake County Commissioners continue to bungle their way toward a reasonable vehicle policy.
And now it appears the city of Gary will do the sequel to the county's performance.
Gary Mayor Rudy Clay 10 days ago said a memo went out to city officials saying that no one but he, police officers and firefighters should be tapping into the city's gas pumps.
When a Post-Tribune analysis showed that several city workers continued to fill their vehicles with city gas, Clay said, "Evidently, somebody didn't get the memo."
Meanwhile, the city is spending a staggering $30,000 a month on gas. That's outrageous, particularly for a city that could face cuts of up to $36 million in its operating budget next year.
We can't think of a reason why firefighters should be using city gas. The same goes for police officers, other than for fueling squad cars.
City Judge Deidre Monroe confirmed that she drives a city-owned vehicle and said she sometimes fills up at the city gas pumps.
The city judge doesn't need a vehicle. That simply is one of those perks government no longer can afford.
Cracking down on the number of take-home vehicles and use of city gas can save substantial money in lease, gas and insurance costs. Apparently, that is going to take a written policy, not just a memo.
http://www.post-trib.com/news/opinion/1 ... it.article
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