TAMPA, FL – The City of Tampa underwent an internal audit examining gas purchases made with city-issued credit cards, according to The Tampa Tribune. The audit, which covered December 2005 through May 2007, revealed about a dozen problems with the way Tampa city employees managed gas purchases.

For example, city police officers unnecessarily purchased premium fuel instead of regular for their cars. While the police department policy allows officers who drive vehicles that require premium fuel to purchase premium fuel, the audit showed that some officers purchased the premium fuel unnecessarily. Purchases of regular gas would have saved more than $3,000, said The Tampa Tribune. The assistant police chief issued letters to specific individuals as well as the entire department to remind employees to purchase regular gas.

A second problem was that the city should have requested, but did not, a refund of federal diesel taxes from the Internal Revenue Service. The city hopes to receive a partial refund of the $25,318 paid in diesel taxes.

In the meantime, the city will streamline its policies so that records show who bought what kind of gas for which car.