Pruning the take-home fleet

   Nearly three-dozen city employees who have enjoyed take-home vehicles at taxpayers' expense received unwelcome news from Mayor Byron W. Brown.

   The mayor has slashed the number of take-home cars from 85 to 50, a 41 percent cut. the rising cost of gasoline, coupled with concerns that some individuals might be abusing the privilege, spurred the administration to overhaul policies. Brown put First Deputy Mayor Steven M. Casey in charge of the downsizing. (A footnote: Brown has a take-home vehicle and will continue to use it; Casey has never had a taxpayer-funded car.)

   The Council began asking questions about take-home vehicles nearly three months ago. The Buffalo News filed a Freedom of Information request for data on the city's take-home fleet May 8. The mayor released the data Thursday -- 56 days after The News request for the information was filed.

   Casey insisted the review began long before lawmakers or reporters started asking questions. He added that this is the first time in at least 20 years a mayor has taken such extreme steps to shrink the number of take-home vehicles on the roads.

   Take a look at the Web links we've provided that detail Buffalo's new take-home vehicle policy, the list of all 50 vehicles, and the job titles of the employees still assigned cars on a 24/7 basis.

   What do you think? Has Brown taken significant steps to control expenses? Or do you think a lot more must be done when it comes to take-home cars?

  -- Brian Meyer

Comments

[Don A.]

Udontknowme,
Driving for UPS, Fedex, or DHL reqires a special van vehicle but we're talking about a regular passenger car where the employee's and city's vehicles are the same. It doesn't make sense that two vehicles are used where one would do just as well.

[udontknowme]

Don,

Why is it ineffecient?

If you worked for ups or fedex or dhl etc, you would drive to work in your car, and then use the company owned van.

Golden Girl, Amen!!

Here in Houston there is political accountability.
And Houston is a progressive city, unlike ( shall I say!) Buffalo.
I hope the buffalo news would report what City and County employees make, and what their fat union benefit packages entail.

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

There is already a generous tax break on business use of a personal vehicle, and if I were a public employee, I'd jump at the chance to use my own vehicle on city business.

Why would city employees live so far away from their work? Buffalo is a small place in terms of sq miles.

If I didn't have my own car, I suppose I'd have to take the bus and then use a public vehicle for my work hours. Home again on the bus, of course! Why not?

[Don A.]

Isn't it inefficient to have a worker drive a car into the city, leave it parked all day while he drives a city car for city business, and then drive his own car home at night. Of course it's not fair that the city lend the city car to the worker especially if he lives far from his workplace.
How about doing one of the following?
1. Charge the worker a reasonable rate for personal use of the city's car, say 30 cents per mile or
2. Pay the worker for the use of his car during the day for use on city business.
Either of these ways would result in an overall lower cost by using one car for both personal and city use and both the worker should be better off.

[Golden Girl]

A friend of mine sent me this link from CHRON.COM in Houston which lists all Houston and Harris county employees, their names and their pay with overtime.

http://www.chron.com/databases/publicemployeepay.html

Why can't we do something similar in Buffalo and Erie county? There seems to be far too many employees and supervisors for a city and county of about a million people. Maybe a little daylight would do some good -- get the cockroaches scurrying.

[tom]

On ch2 news, Byron Brown listed to the reporter, all the former mayors who had cars and drivers. That justifies him having one?

My dad had a retirement and health ins. My grandfather had health ins, retirement etc. They all filled their tanks for a twenty dollar bill, with change left over.

These overpaid part timers are "addicted to perks and bennies". Until they are taken away, just like we, who pay their wages lost them, they will NEVER feel the PAINS.

They are still living in the past history of the times of plenty. No sacrificing on their part whatsoever.

Enough is enough, damn it!

[get it right]

Byron Brown needs a take home car because he can never be sure his own vehicle won't be out on a JOYRIDE he does not know about. Perhaps he should take a bus like he wants everyone else to.

[Robert James]

Remember when the Seal of the City of Buffalo displayed on the doors of these city-owned vehicles was actually the size of a dinner plate, allowing for easy identification? Now it's so small that unless you're very close to that vehicle parked at the local tavern or shopping mall you'd never know it doesn't belong there.

[TC]

"Who do these fat cats think they are?"

Lydia - Why, they're your "betters", of course. Welcome to the Entitlement Culture.

There is no reason for Mr. Brown, nor Mr. Williams, nor any other official, to have a "take home" car. When you earn twice and three times the Buffalo median income and you drive a publicly funded car, it's an insult to taxpayers, especially when your administration makes it policy to whine about not having enough money.

The only public employees who should have take home vehicles are those *on-call* employees whose jobs require so much time in those vehicles that mileage reimbursement schemes would be cost-prohibitive.

But hey, don't let a little fiscal common sense stop your Idiot Kings from another property tax hike.

[know it all]

Williams from the School Board has a car and driver 24/7! This is necessary because? Teachers have not had raises in 4 years, yet his driver is paid 60k.

[BuffaloSkeptic]

The Mayor "was working on the problem" before the Buffalo News sent its inquiry almost 60 days ago. He has been in office 2+ years and just submitted a budget which took effect July 1 I think. Would you think the 3rd budget year of his administration might reflect an effort to cut unnecessary costs? And explain why he needs 2 different cars for summer and winter? Is it because he is incapable of getting streets cleared fast enough for his sedan to navigate the streets he is supposed to clear? And why would the fire department be charged with maintaining his car? The Mayor must think we are either very gullible or stupid. Either way it says much about his disdain for the public he is supposed to serve.

[JOE BLOW]

Buffalo is under a control board there should be no take home cars for anyone.Even the mayor could call for a patrol car to pick him up 24/7.

[lanres]

City vehicles have been seen at suburbin restaurants , malls, schools(Like ECC North) , doctors offices and so on. Bravo Mayor Brown . Keep looking theres allot more you can cut !

[Jim]

Why did it take the News to bring this to light before the Mayor acted on it. And if this goes on in the city, imagine what goes on in the county and state (with all those unanswerable authorities)? Just another example how the government and special interests fleece the taxpyer.

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

City government is outrageously top-heavy with "important" people if we have more than ten "department heads" who are on call 24/7. And, just how often must they get up from the family dinner table or the neighborhood poker game to run out to a "trouble site"?

Is there a problem with driving older and smaller cars? Who do these fat cats think they are?

[BrutalHonesty]

So much for lead by example Mr. Mayor. Is the taxpayer funded driver on duty 24 hours a day along with the assigned policeman?

[north buffalo kid]

Hey ! HRH Lord Byron,

At least get a mid sized 4 cylinder car.

Give the appearance of caring.

[Simple Country Lawyer]

This is one of many reasons why David Franczyk should be Mayor. He gave up his city car long ago. Mayor Brown insists on continuing to suck up gas and won't give up his car. GET RID OF ALL THE CARS.

[Barton Keyes]

Can someone explain why personnel in Administration and Finance are driving a Chevy Tahoe? That is a 5,500 lb vehicle that costs 33,000 to 46,000 dollars and gulps down 1 gallon of gasoline for every 16 miles of city driving.
Why do administrators and finance people need to drive SUV's on a truck frame? Status? A style choice? It certainly isn't for economy.