MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MO – Montgomery County employees across various departments have been circumventing a freeze on purchasing SUVS for use in county jobs by renting the vehicles through the county’s Enterprise Rent-A-Car account.

Fleet Management officials recently told county council members they are now requiring employees to receive written authorization from their supervisors before renting vehicles larger than compact or intermediate size, and give the documents to Enterprise agents when they pick up the vehicle, according to The Examiner.

The SUV freeze stemmed from a seven-bill environmental protection package Councilman Roger Berliner sponsored and county leaders adopted this spring that was designed to reduce energy consumption by 15 to 30 percent. The legislation included property tax credits for residents who switch to renewable energy and mandates that new homes built in Montgomery County would have to meet certain environmental standards. Most of the new policies will not take effect until January 2010.