Property Taxes 2013.. Free Cars !!

From Douglas Sentinal... http://www.douglascountysentinel.com/news/local/article_3a9f9632-0b86-11...
The citizens of Douglas County will soon be suffering the financial pain of a 23.74 percent increase on county property taxes approved by the Board of Commissioners last month. The BOC approved the hike despite pleas from 27 speakers and nearly 200 attendees at three public hearings, many of whom begged the commissioners to find ways to cut the budget.
But while those pleas fell largely on deaf ears, the Sentinel has learned through an Open Records request that over 25 county employees not counting law enforcement personnel have take-home vehicles. Everyone from County Administrator Eric Linton to Parks and Recreation Director Gary Dukes have their own vehicles. And Linton, Dukes and many of the county’s top government officials don’t even live in Douglas County, meaning local citizens are picking up the tab for their commutes. “It’s just the industry standard for mine and for certain key department heads to have vehicles, and that’s just the model we’ve followed,” Linton said.
Douglas County Director of Purchasing and Animal Control Bill Peacock said the county buys fuel in bulk. Over a 12-month period from July 2012 to July 2013, Peacock said the average gallon of gas cost the county $3.03. During that time, Dukes used 1,459.3 gallons, Deputy Fire Chief Kimberly Ransom used 1,037 gallons, Linton used 1,026.3 gallons, Government Services Director Tim Hussey used 935.5 gallons and Information Services Director Mike Amato used 892.7 gallons. Hussey and Amato are among the other employees who live outside the county but get a vehicle and gas paid for by Douglas County citizens.
By contrast, Douglas County Commission Chairman Tom Worthan, who lives in the county, burned 573.3 gallons over the course of a year. The fuel alone for the 15 directors and managers with county vehicles cost taxpayers over $30,000 for the year.
Linton said some like Ransom and Hussey use their cars extensively in their jobs during the day. And he said all managers and directors with a take-home vehicle are on-call. Dukes, whose gas costs totaled over $4,400 for the year, visits all 19 county parks once a week in addition to commuting in from a neighboring county, Linton said. And he points out that the Ford Expeditions he, Worthan, and Dukes drive are not very fuel efficient. Linton and Dukes drive 2007 models and Worthan has a 2010. The SUVs get an average of 15-16 miles per gallon, according to fueleconomy.gov. On the other hand, Amato, who Linton said “has an extended drive” to work each day, has a 2008 Ford Escape which gets an average of around 24 mpg. Linton said the county hasn’t bought many vehicles recently, but may look at getting more fuel efficient ones in the future.
While Dukes uses the most gas among directors, a 2012 Ford F-350 used by Animal Control burned the most gas overall at 2,231gallons (roughly $6,759.93). Peacock said that vehicle is assigned to the 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. shift, which is one of the busiest times. “It’s the newest vehicle, it works the busiest shift and it’s air conditioned,” said Peacock. “So all of the drivers, all of the officers will first gravitate to that vehicle rather than one of the older vehicles that does not have air conditioning.” Animal Control officers only take their vehicles home when they’re on call, Peacock said.
Douglas County Director of Transportation Randy Hulsey has 11 take-home vehicles in his department, including three each in the maintenance and construction and traffic operations divisions. “We’ve got to be ready 24 hours a day if something occurs,” Hulsey said. While some of those vehicles used close to 1,000 gallons of gas over the course of a year, Hulsey said most are work trucks that are on the road during the day. Hulsey, who also lives outside the county, has a 2007 Ford Explorer and used 599 gallons of gas over a year. Assistant Director of Transportation Keary Lord, who lives in the county, burned 508.3 gallons in his 2002 Ford Crown Victoria.
Hulsey said the DOT self polices use of its vehicles, stressing that employees are not to stop at bars or liquor stores while in uniform or driving a county vehicle because “perception means reality.” Linton said the county doesn’t have an official vehicle usage policy, but is looking into adopting one. Currently, he said employees with vehicles are told “cars are only allowed for commuting and work.” He said the formal policy that would be adopted by the Board of Commissioners would specify things like where a vehicle could be taken and how often it should go in for maintenance. It may also include a radius which the vehicle has to stay within.
Linton said the hope is to have the new policy in place by the end of the year. Still, there’s no talk of doing away with the county vehicles altogether. “It goes with the job,” said Linton.
AgainReally posted at 7:53 pm on Tue, Aug 27, 2013. AgainReally Posts: 3 This is ridiculous. I cannot wait until the elections. These cars are being driven to Cobb, Gwinnett and Paulding counties. I agree if they are necessary they should stay in the county.
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teapartyvotes posted at 7:22 pm on Tue, Aug 27, 2013. teapartyvotes Posts: 2 Linton's comment, "It goes with the job." is absolutely ridiculous. Job responsibilities "go with the job". Cars are a benefit and part of an employee contract that is negotiated once a year. Easy come...easy go. Log In to report. Link Reply
teapartyvotes posted at 5:41 pm on Tue, Aug 27, 2013. teapartyvotes Posts: 2 Amato...isn't that the guy who's department was accused of forging payroll documents for ex-commissioners? The tax payers are still paying his salary?! And his gas?! I guess as long as he doesn't "stop at bars or liquor stores while in uniform or driving a county vehicle", then he's doing a great job by Douglas County standards! If the Commissioners expect us tax payers to tighten our belt, then the same rules should apply to them. If they can't cut the fat then they shouldn't be surprised when the voters cut them. Log In to report. Link Reply
AgainReally posted at 12:18 pm on Tue, Aug 27, 2013. AgainReally Posts: 3 @Jimmy this is not a successful business this is a county government, although the ones driving the cars home make as much as the private business. This is another example of abuse. We do not live in a rich county. Douglas County has been in the top counties for foreclosures for years now. I mean, we do have the nicest jail around... that should bring some nice people to the county. What is wrong with putting that money into the parks, roads, schools, etc.? What is so wrong with driving your own personal vehicle? They should do an open record request on the salaries of "take a vehicle home" employees. I personally think the money should be used else where. and it is just wrong to insult people that work at subway...and call people bottom dwellers..... sounds like you are one of the ones driving these vehicles home. Have a great day! Log In to report. Link Reply
Watching posted at 10:51 am on Tue, Aug 27, 2013. Watching Posts: 1 The County needs to pass an ordinance that all County employees Manager and above have to live in Douglas County if the are to be supplied with a County Vehicle, otherwise your transportation cost are on your dime! Log In to report. Link Reply
Seriously posted at 11:50 am on Mon, Aug 26, 2013. Seriously Posts: 1 I have NEVER seen mr dukes visit any park in this county... and the fact that they are "ON CALL" is nowhere near reality!!! Once that 4:00 bell sounds no one answers any phone calls. Maybe the county should look at hiring people that actually live in Douglas County and care about what goes on in the community! Log In to report. Link Reply
RUSERIOUS posted at 10:38 pm on Fri, Aug 23, 2013. RUSERIOUS Posts: 2 Douglas Ville you need to stop smoking the bad stuff. This story shows that the Sentinel keeps finding more and more waste in county government. They have reported on McDade, – had a story last Sunday. The GBI is still digging and the paper won't let us forget about it. Divert attention? It seems to me as though the intention is to keep reminding voters that the people we have in charge now are blowing through our money like drunken sailors. All the facts? For years I sat back and watched the newspapers in the area act like a PR agency. Now that we have a group that are reporting the news and investigating the hidden deals we need to appreciate it. Remember Mickey Thompson and the council pay. If not for the Sentinel they would still be stealing public money. Take another drag of that left-handed cigarette and keep making excuses, while the rest of see all the waste uncovered one layer at a time and express our opinion at the ballot box. Log In to report. Link Reply Douglas Ville posted at 10:08 pm on Fri, Aug 23, 2013. Douglas Ville Posts: 1 Is the Sentinel the personal sounding board of David McDade? This story seems to divert attention from the on-going GBI investigation into his wrong-doing. This story mentions that 25 county officials and managers have cars. Eleven of those are used by the Department of Transportation. I would think the DOT would actually use cars in their jobs. Mr. McDade's office has 22 cars. That is 22 cars all for one department. Where is that in this story?? Mr. McDade's prosecutors work in 3 courtrooms. I guess they need 7.3 vehicles per courtroom. Please prove that the Sentinel does not work for David McDade. You can do this by printing a follow-up story on how many cars he has and how many gallons of gas they use.... Please report ALL of the facts. Log In to report. Link Reply Anonymous posted at 8:24 pm on Fri, Aug 23, 2013. Anonymous Posts: 1 So the county will have a new vehicle policy by the end of the year huh. Just in time for next years elections when the voters will make their own policy changes for 2014. Log In to report. Link Reply equality2013 posted at 7:23 pm on Fri, Aug 23, 2013. equality2013 Posts: 6 Every week there is some kind of fraud in this county! I say we vote in new people with fresh money saving ideas. This started with the DA's office there were no consequences so now its a free for all. Did he the DA pay the money back for Agan's gas usage for personal getaways and the money he paid the daughter that never worked the hours she got paid while in school? The answer is no! because no one cares to get to the root of all this expenditure as long as we keep paying! Log In to report. Link Reply an observer posted at 3:02 pm on Fri, Aug 23, 2013. an observer Posts: 3 Pump the brakes Jimmy. You need to take a breath. After some news reports of employees driving their county car everyday and everywhere, maybe some county take home car policies need to be looked at. Log In to report. Link Reply Jimmy Dugans posted at 2:26 pm on Fri, Aug 23, 2013. Jimmy Dugans Posts: 1 Some of the bottom dwellers writing on this blog should think about getting a better job. In every successful business I have ever worked there are upper management who are provided with company vehicles. I would suggest that most of the commentators should go back to school and get some training so they can get a better job. Of course, Subway employees drive their own car to work--that is where you can find this newspaper's commentators. Log In to report. Link Reply American1 posted at 11:46 pm on Fri, Aug 23, 2013. American1 Posts: 27 Comparing private business with government?? Private businesses don't answer to the taxpayers nor do they extract their funding from the wallets of the taxpayers. You must be a government employee. Grandpa always said...Those that can, do. Those that can't, work for the government. Log In to report. Link Reply Just a citizen posted at 8:46 am on Fri, Aug 23, 2013. Just a citizen Posts: 12 I have long thought that our county vehicle was way out of control! Fuel is just a small part of the cost of maintaining and insuring every single vehicle. We could keep our costs down in this county by making people drive their own vehicles to work... just like the rest of us do. I have seen Sheriff dept. employees out shopping, dropping their kids off at camp, baseball practice, etc., while in county vehicles!!! And they were in some very expensive vehicles. I do realize that many of the vehicles are confiscated, but that does not make them affordable to drive and maintain. Also, the cost involved to paint all of these vehicles to match, and putting the Sheriff's name or police chiefs name is a huge expense that could be done away with! Log In to report. Link Reply Just me posted at 6:30 am on Fri, Aug 23, 2013. Just me Posts: 4 If the employees have extensive drives to work, perhaps someone more local could do a better job. That or like all the rest of us, we drive our own cars to work and back every day. Log In to report. Link Reply American1 posted at 11:46 pm on Thu, Aug 22, 2013. American1 Posts: 27 These guys are turning DC in to an Atlanta or Dekalb. Dare I say Detroit? Get your hands out of our pockets. It wasn't long ago that a local news station reported on the DA's office running the same scam. You guys want a job, fine. You want a car, go buy one. If you can't handle getting your own transportation to work like private employees do, quit and we'll find someone who can. Log In to report. Link Reply citizenofdouglas posted at 9:09 am on Fri, Aug 23, 2013. citizenofdouglas Posts: 9 AMEN to the top 3 comments. Well said! I worked for the DOD for years and I had to drive my own car back and forth. What makes Douglas county any different?