Report: Public workers using tools for own use

Baltimore County employees are routinely allowed to use county-owned maintenance equipment ? including weed whackers, hedge trimmers and power tools ? for personal use, according to a recent audit.

The audit, completed last month and recently published by the county?s internal auditing office, criticizes the county?s Department of Recreation and Parks? inventoryof maintenance equipment as “incomplete, inaccurate and unreliable.” The practice of allowing employees to take taxpayer-funded equipment home with them violates county code, according to the audit.