Q: Can the town do away with town-funded vehicles for town employees and let the employees claim a 55 cent per mile deduction on their taxes like any other employee?
A: The town is doing away with vehicles being brought home whenever there is attrition. We are working with the employees to develop a policy for the future and will include the suggestion of the IRS rate of mileage reimbursement where appropriate. Also, we have consulted other towns where they gave a one-time payment to do away with this. It does require collective bargaining.
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"whenever there is attrition" - Please explain why a blanket decision can not be made eliminiating take home vehicles for employees. The vehicle benefit is not granted via contract. It is granted via BOS policy. Why not change BOS policy to eliminate them for everyone - except the Police & Fire Chiefs. If people are called into work during off hours - then they can submit the mileage as an expense. But you know - if I get called into work during off hours - my company does not pay me to drive in to work. I get the benefit of a weekly paycheck.
ReplyDelete"whenever there is attrition".....what a half-assed way to run a town with financial problems. Take the cars away. NO collective bargaining is required for managers not part of a union. Further, adopt a policy and stick with it
ReplyDeletePls edit the Feb 3rd post (just to remove the one hypenated word), but I agree with the sentiments of both posts in response to the lack of movement on this issue by the BOS. I had given them the benefit of the doubt and thought there must be a contractual obligation to continue the vehicle use by town employees. If there is none, then the policy should be changed to discontinue use except for those positions that specifically warrant an exception (and are voted as such publically by BOS members). So that we all understand the impact of these decisions: How much money does it cost the town annually or how much could we save (in lease expense or by selling vehicles) if this practice was terminated?
ReplyDeleteThere are currently 12 employees who have assigned Town vehicles for work and commuting purposes. The total 2009 operating cost for these 12 vehicles was approximatley $65,640 (or $5,470 per employee). 58% of the annual cost is estimated to be associated with commuting use (or $3,173 per employee). The Town cannot take the vehicles (or the commuting portion) away without collective bargaining with the respective unions. Previous bargaining efforts on this issue have been unsuccessful. The current approach is to eliminate this benefit through attrition when the incumbent employees retire. Two of the 12 employees will be retiring in 2010 and others will follow within the next few years.
ReplyDeleteMary O'Donoghue - can you please point out where in the union agreements this benefit is granted. I do not see it.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the take home vehicles' policy, Michael Gilman Esq., provided an opinion on the subject in September 2006 when an attempt was made to negotiate the benefit away from the Independent employees. Basically, his opinion states that, while some of the employees had the benefit spelled out in their letters of hire, and others were given verbal permission to take the vehicles home many years ago (there is no mention of it in their contract), the Town is still obligated to negotiate with the AIEA if it wants to eliminate the benefit. Counsel further states that "eventhough the collective bargaining agreements covering these positions say nothing about Town motor vehicles being provided to certain positions, the relatively long past practise would, in my opinion, be treated as a contractual benefit requiring negotiation with the union to alter or eliminate."
ReplyDeletethe relatively long past practise would, in my opinion, be treated as a contractual benefit
ReplyDeleteThe key words being IN MY OPINION. This is the opinion of one person - not the court. Take the benefit away and deal with it in court. The town needs to get some backbone and fight for what it thinks is right. Yes - it could cost money (legal costs) - but stand up fight for what we think is right.
I guess the town has no backbone on this.
ReplyDelete