LAWRENCE, IN – The Lawrence City Council, Ind., voiced its discontent Mar. 5 over the city administration’s failure to implement a three-year-old ordinance that establishes a motor pool for city-owned and leased vehicles, according to Web site www.topics.com. By a 7-2 vote, the council approved a nonbinding resolution that expresses concern over “the failure and refusal of the mayor and other officials of the administration and the executive branch to implement and comply with ordinances adopted by the Common Council.”

Council vice president Linda Treat, who authored the resolution, said the motor pool would save money that the city could use to hire more police officers and increase public safety. The council passed the ordinance Mar. 3, 2005, but Mayor Deborah Cantwell vetoed it on Mar. 23, 2005. The council overruled the mayor’s veto Apr. 4, 2005.

The ordinance establishes policies and management procedures of city-owned and leased vehicles used for official functions. With the exception of approved police and fire vehicles assigned to specific personnel, the city would maintain a pool of marked vehicles that could be checked out by city employees for official use. It also establishes a division of motor vehicle management, which would become part of the department of public works and safety.

Two years ago, Cantwell said she vetoed the ordinance because of discrepancies on how vehicles would be traded from one department to another, how city employees’ driving records would be monitored, and how a mileage reimbursement rate would be determined for city employees who use personal vehicles.