Employees paid to leave city cars at work

As part of a deal to keep city workers from taking municipal vehicles home each night, officials agreed to pay nine employees $1,000 apiece to give up the right to take home a government car.
City Personnel Director Diane Ferguson said Wednesday that the one-time payments were offered so the workers would “return their vehicles.”
That means that taxpayers are shelling out $9,000 to secure the formal right to say who can drive city-owned cars and trucks during off-hours.
The deal, part of a new contract with the Bristol Professionals and Supervisors Association, “effectively eliminated the past practice of allowing a limited number of employees to take their vehicles home on a regular basis,” Mayor William Stortz said.
"We were able to get a lot of vehicles back," Stortz said, ultimately reducing costs for taxpayers.
"It will be less expensive for the city," the mayor said.
Stortz, however, never mentioned in public meetings where the contract was voted on, an interview with the Bristol Press or in a press release Wednesday that the city was paying off the workers directly to agree to the change.
The three-year union pact reached between the city and 54 members of the Bristol Professionals and Supervisors Association, which had been delayed for more than a year, delivered a 9.3 percent pay hike. It got unanimous backing from city councilors.
The agreement also requires the workers to cough up a 7.5 percent co-payment for their health insurance coverage, a new high among the city’s municipal unions.
“We made tremendous improvements in those areas,” Stortz said.
But Stortz was keen to include a provision to ensure that the mayor would be able to control the use of municipal vehicles as part of the contract.
He said that getting the explicit authority to oversee off-hours use of city cars will save taxpayers money.
“It will be less expensive for the city,” Stortz said.
The mayor said some municipal workers may need to take vehicles home because of their particular duties, perhaps only during some months of the year.
He said, though, that the deal makes it possible for officials to review the justification for taking home a vehicle.
“Going forward, this will be evaluated and each situation judged on its merit, including the need for a prompt response, as well as the health and safety of employees and citizens,’ Stortz said.

Here's something the mayor posted after deadline yesterday, which sheds more light on the issue:

First, No Department Head received any benefit. They, other than Valentino, had lost their cars earlier. The only Department Heads having vehicles to take home are the Police and Fire Chiefs.

All others were part of BPSA, and their contract was negotiated earlier this year, and included the right for the city to take cars back. In addition, the city got Co-Pay from this bargaining unit as part of the overall agreement.

As regards the cars, the city was paying for fuel for trips forth and back to home, and in some cases that mileage EXCEEDED city use. So fuel cost were eliminated, as well as wear and tear on the vehicle. If 50 miles a week are saved, and keep in mind that some workers live out of town, and the vehicle gets 20MPG, the weekly cost for gas alone is almost $7.00/WK or $350/YR. Not including maintenance costs.

In addition, the use of the vehicle was considered a benefit which was then added to the workers W-2 form. Because the city had not taxed that benefit, it, the city, then paid the workers portion of that income tax at year end. Calculate the tax on just$1000.00, and the city (you) paid the workers tax. In most cases the benefit exceeded $1000.00/yr. That tax will no longer have to be paid by the city (you).
The worker also no longer gets the value of the benefit added to his pension calculation.

All of these savings will now accrue to the taxpayer (you).

At $500.00 savings per year, this agreement pays for itself in two years.
In many cases, the savings to the city is even greater, but what ever it is, it will continue until someone provides the vehicle again.

I am posting this from home, I do not have the file with me, but I do know that the savings well justify the decision. The facts, which are available in my office, clearly justify the decision as a sound economical one. Anyone that wants to stop in my office can get more information if they desire.




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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City workers paid $1,000 to give up cars

Funny thing how Mayor William Stortz neglected to mention what the city gave up to convince the Bristol Professionals and Supervisors Association to relinquish the right to take home city cars.
When I called to ask her, Diane Ferguson, the city's personnel director, said this morning that the workers who have been allowed to take home municipal vehicles "were offered $1,000 to return their vehicles."
That's a one-time payment, she said.
Ferguson said that she thinks there were nine workers slated to receive the money.
So taxpayers are shelling out $9,000 to regain control of vehicles that the city government owns.
That's the deal that Stortz worked out with the union.

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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Mayor: City gains control over cars

Issued this morning by Mayor William Stortz:

In a prepared release, Mayor William T. Stortz announced that BPSA, (Bristol Professional Supervisors Association) and his office have come to a contractual agreement regarding the use of City vehicles by City personnel.

“We have effectively eliminated the past practice of allowing a limited number of employees to take their vehicles home on a regular basis. This will result in savings for the City and the taxpayer”, said Stortz.

“There are and will be certain situations where the need to take a vehicle home, to be on call, will occur. Going forward, this will be evaluated and each situation judged on its merit, including the need for a prompt response, as well as the health and safety of employees and citizens. The City, through the Mayor and the related department heads can and will authorize the use of a City vehicle, where appropriate. This will allow for contingencies, allow for adequate service, safety and response, when the need is justified and as unique circumstances occur”, continued Stortz.

In conclusion, Stortz said, “I appreciate the cooperation and understanding of BPSA members in working to effect the change.”

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The release is sort of odd.
The news is old. Here, for example, is an excerpt from a story I wrote for the Press on Aug. 8, 2007:
Another section of the deal [with the BPSA] addresses the use of city-owned vehicles by members of the union.
Stortz said that the issue has been “a bone of contention” for a long time, but he got the union’s agreement that the right to take home municipal cars is a decision the city can make.
The mayor said some workers will keep taking cars home because there are legitimate reasons for it. But others won’t have the right any longer, Stortz added.
He said that in the long run the city will save money by paring the use of government vehicles.

Last week, the mayor pitched the story to me directly.
He said that the contract ensured the city would have total control over its own vehicles, which only makes sense.
He said there are situations where workers will be allowed to take home a municipal vehicle, but not at their own discretion.
"We were able to get a lot of vehicles back," Stortz said, reducing costs for taxpayers.
"It will be less expensive for the city," the mayor said.
I hadn't really had a chance to think about whether there was a legitimate story in that or not when I saw the mayor's press release today.

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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com