Bernalillo County has decided to tighten the restrictions on its take home fleet. The New Mexico county has allowed employees who meet certain requirements to take home vehicles since 1992. But according to KQRE News 13, dozens of employees received vehicles when they likely didn’t need it.
Under the new policy, county employees must prove that emergency response is part of their job responsibilities if they need a take-home car. To avoid overtime costs, the county will also allow employees to take a car home at night if they need it first thing in the morning. So far, the county has taken back 22 cars, saving a total of $17,000 for the budget year. The county hopes to take back the keys for another 10 to 15 vehicles this year.
According to county estimates, it costs an additional $700 to $800 per year to let an employee take home a vehicle.
