East Ridge city council member Jim BethuneIn an effort to avoid confiscating cars from five East Ridge employees who were violating the city’s take-home car policy, East Ridge City Council is expected to vote tonight to amend the policy in employees’ favor.
The city currently mandates that all employees who commute outside East Ridge with city-issued cars must live no farther than 15 miles from city limits. If approved, the new ordinance would extend that range to 25 miles.
After City Manager Tim Gobble found last month that three police officers and two maintenance supervisors with take-home cars lived outside the 15-mile limit, he approached council members with the situation.
“As opposed to pulling the cars from [the employees], I think it’s probably a good call to extend the mileage – and make that the absolute stopping point,” Mayor Brent Lambert said Tuesday.
At least 49 city employees drive take-home cars, according to a vehicle master list compiled in September.