Shall we please taxpayers or city employees?

Mayor Diebold has decreed that city vehicles will not be driven home by non-emergency/on-call employees (except those covered in union contracts). But, too bad, taxpayers. This will happen only after those present employees with city vehicles have left their jobs by retirement, etc.

So why are we waiting, if indeed this has been deemed an unnecessary and expensive perk for employees?

The city vehicle policy is reproduced in pdf format at this link. It was recently amended by the mayor who added of the last paragraph.

But notice also, two paragraphs above that which says "Employees are not permitted to take home vehicles outside of a twenty mile radius of Newark City Hall except for those who respond to emergency police and fire business."

Meaning that Service Director Barch is not complying with the official policy if she's driving a city vehicle back and forth to her home in Grove City.

Some of the history of Kathy's Car can be found in my Observations entitled
"Sweetheart deal: a car for Kathy, courtesy the mayor with blessings of the Advocate" and "City council makes a good beginning in '08"