Recently in previous letters to the editor it was revealed that Peachtree City maintains a total of 188 city-operated vehicles, one for every 183 residents. It was further revealed that 94 of those vehicles are assigned to the Police Department, which is staffed by 73 individuals more vehicles than personnel.
As of July 2011, last month, 59 Police Department staff are granted the use of a city-supplied take home vehicle. What does that mean? It means that the taxpayers of Peachtree City are providing transportation to and from home for over 80 percent of the Police Department staff.
From the police chief on down the ranks including command staff, evidence administration, quartermaster/administration, CID, etc., and patrol officers all are provided with vehicles to drive home.
The citys vehicle take-home policy is not limited to the police department. An additional eight vehicles are assigned to other departments and city employees.
Now, the drivers of these take-home vehicles can use them not only to drive to and from home, but also for personal business. Peachtree City Policy CAR 5-9 Take Home Vehicles allows the mayor and city manager to authorize city personal the privilege to drive a city vehicle home.
When authorized to take home a city-supplied vehicle, the individual, according to CAR 5-9, is also granted the right to use the vehicle to transport immediate family members to and from (their) work, school and day care while in route to and from work themselves. To make stops while traveling to and from work for legitimate reasons including a gym, or other facility used to exercise … etc.
Unless the take-home vehicle driver lives within the city limits, a sliding scale of from $15 to $50 per pay period is charged to the individual by the city. In the $50 a pay period bracket, the individual is authorized the use of a city-owned vehicle for up to a daily 60-mile roundtrip. That adds up to 600 miles a pay period and can amount to nearly 15,000 miles a year.
Do the math. If the useful life of a vehicle is, say, five years, conceivably almost three quarters of its 100,000-mile useful life could be consumed on the road driving its assigned individual to and from home.
What a good deal for the drivers. What a bad deal for Peachtree City taxpayers.
Note that at a recent City Council meeting, the police chief stated that for the 2012 budget, he just could not get along without an additional 10 more vehicles. (The final approved 2012 budget included nine, not 10. Congratulations, City Council!)
One of the reasons given as justification for the additional vehicles was that the useful life of a police vehicle, according to a public statement from the mayor, is 100,000 miles.
Lets see, maybe police vehicles and all city vehicles for that matter would not have to be replaced as often if their mileage was held down by a more restrictive, less generous vehicle take-home policy, thus saving taxpayers money in replacement costs, fuel, insurance, etc.
Draw your own conclusions.
Jeff Christian
Peachtree City, Ga.
