PARKERSBURG, W.V. – Commissioners for Wood County in West Virginia met Feb. 28 with Steve Rawlings of the West Virginia Liability Insurance Pool about the possible implementing a county vehicle-use policy, according to the Web site www.NewsandSentinel.com. 

After recent questions were raised over the assignment of county-owned vehicles and their use, commissioners decided to explore an umbrella policy for their vehicles. The county pays approximately $914 annually for each county-owned car for general liability coverage.

Concerns over usage of county cars were raised recently after the commissioners, trying to determine who needed to be paying tax on the use of a county-owned vehicle, asked all county officials to submit a list of any county-owned vehicles used by their employees. Recently county officials have received questions/complaints from the citizenry about the use, or possible misuse, of county-owned vehicles, and those concerns also raised liability issues.

Officials have suggested the commission have employees who will be driving a county-owned vehicle submit permission to have a Department of Motor Vehicles check done on their license to see what, if any, violations they have on their record.

The insurance pool has recommendations in writing that include having no more than two convictions for a motor vehicle moving violation during a previous 36-month period, and significant convictions, such as DUI, reckless driving, fleeing, would negate driving a county-owned vehicle.

Officials said the insurance pool could provide recommendations to help the county come up with policies and procedures.

The commissioners agreed to review the recommendations from the insurance pool and place discussion on a future agenda.