Staff Photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Chattanooga Police Department Field Training Officer John Monroe walks toward the gate after parking his patrol car in a parking lot on Peeples Street near the old Farmers’ Market in downtown Chattanooga on Thursday afternoon. Many officers have decided to park their cars rather than pay to drive the partrol cars home under the city’s new policy. Mike Jarnagin of Patriot Fence works on the gate area of the fence around the lot.As Chattanooga police officers parked their take-home patrol cars Thursday, some City Council members questioned Mayor Ron Littlefield’s suspension of $400 monthly payments to six city administrators who don’t have take-home cars.
Littlefield spokesman Richard Beeland said Thursday the mayor suspended the allowance, which had been in place since 1998, because “It did not have the appearance of being fair.”
City Councilman Russell Gilbert questioned whether Littlefield acted improperly by suspending the payments without council permission.
“That might be an issue,” he said. “He should have [come] to the City Council.”
Councilman Peter Murphy agreed.