Washington-area governments and agencies in recent years have struggled to maintain oversight of their taxpayer-funded fleets of take-home vehicles. And regional leaders have come under fire for their pricey rides while local governments grapple with massive budget shortfalls. Here are some of the highest-profile controversies involving take-home vehicles of late:
» Despite receiving free rides on the transit system, 116 Metro employees also drive taxpayer-funded vehicles daily, according to records obtained by The Washington Examiner. Furthermore, six of Metro’s top executives are assigned agency-owned vehicles. And a technician was fired recently for driving an agency service vehicle to his home — and staying there — during his work hours.
» In December, D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown ordered himself a fully loaded Lincoln Navigator, rejected it because he didn’t like the interior color, then ordered a second. The leases for both Navigators collectively cost $3,800 a month. The city returned the SUVs to the dealer.
» Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has been issued two SUVs, a $47,698 Chevrolet Suburban driven by a part-time security guard and a $38,665 Jeep Cherokee he uses when driving alone. The arrangement was widely criticized by police union members, among others.
» In 2009, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors cracked down on use of take-home vehicles by firefighters after an audit found that many took their vehicles well outside county lines — and filed faulty travel logs. County officials then passed a law limiting vehicle use to firefighters living within 30 miles of the county and shed dozens of unnecessary vehicles from the fleet.
» Upon entering office, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker ordered a review of the county’s car policy amid concerns about use during predecessor Jack Johnson’s administration. Since then, most of the take-home cars used by Baker’s own staff have been eliminated.
