Oro Valley Police Take Home Vehicle Policy Needs To Be Changed!

At a recent Council meeting, "The Appointed One," Steve Solomon referred to a study that stated it is economical for Oro Valley to allow police take home vehicles.

We should note, it is unilaterally up to the Police Chief to decide who gets the "free" car.

It is our position that this policy is a classic example of "tail wagging." If it was a good policy most other communities would adapt it. They don't!

Below are only a few examples of municipalities across the country that have amended their take home vehicle policy.

It's about time Oro Valley does the same!

Chattanooga Implements Take-Home Car Fees

CHATTANOOGA, TN - The city of Chattanooga is implementing a charge for take-home vehicles effective in January. The Police Department is the most affected, with 351 of the 395 City's take-home cars, according to the Chattanoogan.

Those who live within the City will be charged 20 cents per mile for driving to and from work. Those who live outside the city will be charged 30 cents a mile.

The current take-home fleet costs the city $580,000 a year. A representative of the Mayor's office said the fee is necessary to balance the city budget. The city is also discontinuing a policy started during a prior administration of paying $400 monthly mileage allowances to certain employees, according to the news source.
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Arkansas Reports 350-Vehicle Reduction

LITTLE ROCK, AR - Arkansas state agencies have reduced the number of state vehicles by about 350, and 39 employees at executive state agencies have indicated they will no longer use state vehicles for commuting purposes, according to the Department of Finance and Administration. These changes were made in response to Arkansas Mayor Mike Beebe's Executive Order 10-14, signed Oct. 5, which changed state fleet policy to limit vehicle assignments and required all employees to reapply for commuting waivers.
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Audit Calls for San Jose to Eliminate 93 Take-Home Vehicles

SAN JOSE, CA - An audit of the City of San Jose fleet found the City could save $630K annually by eliminating 93 take-home vehicles.

Dated Oct. 14, the audit's focus was on the commuting portion of City vehicle use, estimated to be 1.5 million miles, or 9 percent of total use. It concluded that "the City has allowed City employees to take home more vehicles than needed to meet its operational needs."

According to the audit, the City operates a fleet of 2,200 vehicles. A total of 166 were used as take-home vehicles in FY 2009-10, 144 of which were in use by the Police Department.

Auditors stated: "Vehicles should go home with employees only when frequently needed to address emergencies in the field requiring immediate response. The City should consider eliminating take-home use of at least 93 vehicles, which would result in the avoidance of about $630,000 in annual commuting costs."

These numbers are comprised of 90 police units (including traffic enforcement motorcycles, canine units, and MERGE units used to respond to critical incidents) and three fire department units.
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City Changes Police Take-Home Policy

MORGANTON, NC - City of Morganton, N.C., public safety officers who now take home their patrol cars can continue to do so. However, the rules will change for any officer hired after July 1, for officers who aren't currently assigned a take-home car, or for officers who move further away from headquarters, according to The News Herald.

The Morganton City Council adopted guidelines for its take-home vehicle policy on August 2.

If an officer who now lives outside the city limits or a 5-mile radius of public safety headquarters moves further from headquarters, he or she will lose his or her take-home car, according to the guidelines.

An officer hired after July 1 or who currently doesn't have a take-home car will have to live within the city limits or a 5-mile radius of public safety headquarters to get a take-home car.

Will Cutting Back On The 62 Police Take Home Vehicles Make Oro Valley Mediocre? We Don't Think So!

Mayor Hiremath is quoted in the Az Star on the proposed increase of the Oro Valley Utility Tax to 4%,as saying:

"Were trying to find that delicate balance to cut, but not cut to the point where we're going to be mediocre."

We have a question for his honor,the mayor:

If he doesn't think that discontinuing the Coyote Run Bus service that was utilized by many seniors and the disabled among us will make Oro Valley mediocre, then "pray tell," how in the world would cutting back on 62 police cars being taken home by the cops, make us mediocre? (Note: Approx. 70% of these vehicles are for cops NOT residents of Oro Valley.)

It just might help in negating any more taxes, and it sure as hell wouldn't make Oro Valley mediocre!

Hiremath continues: "We need to have all of you not just utter the rhetoric, 'No more taxes.' We need you to come up with solutions on how we're going to be fiscally responsible, fiscally stable, so the community of Oro Valley can excel in these tough economic times."

Does Hiremath understand that the proposed Oro Valley budget has $25.6 million in General Fund Expenditures. More than $12 million of that is for the police department, and that's almost a 5%INCREASE over last year!

That's NOT RHETORIC, Mr. Mayor! That's a fact.


So, please don't give us more superfluous rhetoric and misinformation as you did in your letter to The Explorer!

Here's the Az Star article.
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/northwest/article_b258f9ec-a000-595b-93fe-c804f610c27c.html