Posted: Wednesday, 10 March 2010 5:05AM
Do You Want to Report the Misuse of Government Cars?
Kevin McArdle Reporting
"When a government employee is handed the keys to a public vehicle, it is expected that the vehicle will be used for public business and not personal use," says State Senator Dick Codey. "State and municipal governments maintain professional fleets of vehicles in order to better meet the needs of the people we represent, not for joy-riding or running errands."
Codey has introduced a bill that would make public vehicle usage information accessible by the public to review. Under the measure, the State Treasurer would make available on a website certain information on each vehicle assigned exclusively to a State officer or employee for more than 30 days. The information would include the name and position of the person assigned to the vehicle; the duties of the position held; the purpose for which the vehicle is used; the miles traveled; the fuel costs; the toll costs; and any other information the Treasurer deems appropriate.
Local and county governments, independent authorities, boards or commissions would be required to abide by the same vehicle transparency standards as the State. If you see any government vehicle being used for non-official purposes you can report it.
Codey says, "This bill would go a long way to make sure that personal business and government business don't mix out on our roadways……. Nothing's more upsetting to the public than to see a public employee loading groceries into a State vehicle on a Saturday, and hopefully, with greater transparency on how these vehicles are supposed to be used, such abuse will become a thing of the past."
The Senator says he's even received calls about a government car being used for family weekend trips to the Poconos. He explains, "We want to try to end that and let these people know that if you use it inappropriately someone may call you on the carpet……Once someone is called on the carpet, I don't think they're going to do it again."
"I know firsthand that State vehicles definitely serve a public purpose," says Codey. "Whether it's for on-site code inspections, or offering safe, reliable transportation to DYFS caseworkers, the State has an interest in continuing to operate a professional fleet of vehicles. While most public employees are following the rules for vehicle use, the problem comes in when some officials use professional vehicles for less-than-professional reasons. This bill would go a long way in cracking down on that kind of waste and abuse of the taxpayers' resources."
Certain exemptions were put in the legislation for law enforcement vehicles, primarily because the reporting of police vehicles could potentially jeopardize a criminal investigation or put people's lives in danger. The bill is expected to be referenced to the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee.
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