CINCINNATI - Facing a $28 million deficit, more than 150 full-time city employees may be laid off in September unless the City of Cincinnati cuts spending on items such as take-home cars, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
The Enquirer reports 162 city employees are allowed to drive city-owned vehicles between work and home. The city has been criticized for allowing the "perks" to continue during budget deficit.
Most of the vehicles - 126 - are driven by people who work for the police department, the same department taking the biggest hit next month with 138 layoffs. Of the 126, 30 are "on call" cars, meaning they can be driven full time, reported the Enquirer.
The money to maintain, repair and gas up the cars comes from the $354 million general fund. Officials do not break out the costs for take-home cars only, but so far this year, the department has spent more than $1.2 million for maintenance and repairs of all its vehicles, bought more than $738,000 worth of gas, and paid more than $36,000 to have the cars cleaned, reported the Enquirer.
The department spends about $2.5 million a year to buy and lease the vehicles, estimated Lt. Col. James Whalen, an assistant chief. He said many people are surprised that it costs about as much in upkeep as it does to pay for them.
Other than the police department's 126 cars and the 29 assigned to the fire department, seven other city vehicles are driven home by employees. Among those is one driven by Norman Merrifield, director of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, the Enquirer reported.
