Public pays the bill

Audit: Take-home vehicles issued to county officials who don’t need them

Chris Morris

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Nineteen Clark County workers — many of them supervisors — were given round-the-clock county vehicles they do not need, an internal county audit found.

The county’s 106 take-home vehicles are intended to be for workers who frequently respond to emergencies at night and on weekends, but auditors found that many responded to after-hours calls only a few times a year — and in 11 cases not at all.

None of the 19 workers was called back more than five times during the 2005-2006 period covered by the audit.

In fact, payroll records and emergency call logs suggest that when some workers and supervisors did get after-hours calls, they didn’t respond for days or contacted someone else to resolve the situation, according to the audit.

One notable name popped up among those who didn’t need their vehicles — Clark County Assessor Mark Schofield.

“Since his work is performed only during office hours and he does not respond to emergencies, it is unnecessary for him to maintain his 24-hour, unmarked vehicle,” auditors wrote.

Schofield said he decided before the audit started in February 2007 to put the county-owned 1998 Ford Explorer back into his office’s vehicle pool. He’d purchased a personal vehicle in January 2007, he said, but didn’t return the Explorer to the county’s Automotive Services Department until late February or early March 2007.

The audit also found that, under state law, six vehicles — including Coroner Michael Murphy’s and County Fire Chief Steve Smith’s — should not be unmarked, a designation reserved primarily for law enforcement vehicles.

The county can apply for unmarked vehicle status from the state, but must provide justification. Auditors couldn’t find any such paperwork and the county’s automotive services manager said he was unaware of the state law governing the issue.

Additionally, more than a dozen employees were not taxed for their personal use of county vehicles. Others were taxed, but improper calculations were used.

Laughlin Town Manager Jacquelyne Brady, for example, drove a county-owned 2004 Chevrolet Blazer but did not submit mileage logs to the county’s payroll department. Because she drove the vehicle for personal use, the county adjusted her tax form to reflect an additional $15,000 in taxable income.

In a written response to the audit, County Chief Financial Officer George Stevens said future applications for take-home vehicles will require documentation showing how often the employee is called in after hours.

County officials think the coroner’s vehicle should remain unmarked, but the fire chief has decided to mark his vehicle, Stevens said.

Despite the audit’s unfavorable findings, the results show improvement since a previous audit.

A 1999 review found that 60 of 79 round-the-clock vehicles were assigned mostly to managers and senior-level supervisors who didn’t really need the vehicles for emergency responses.

“This practice results in a significant unnecessary expense to the county,” auditors said at the time.

Discussion: 10 comments so far…

By mikeg

4/15/08 at 7:51 a.m.

Suggest removal

Yeah I see these guys responding to "Red Lobster" emergencies all the time, never know when that free jumbo shrimp deal is gonna expire.
By RETIREMENT

4/15/08 at 8:22 a.m.

Suggest removal

That is a problem with many government agencies. Check out the Nevada Division of Parole & Probation. Most every journeyman officer and many first line supervisors take home a car at taxpayers expense and only a very small handful of these officers are on call. On call officers will consist primarily of House Arrest officers who must respond when an offender has cut and run with the electronic monitoring device. Maybe it is time to end their policy of home storage, especially when gas is about $3.30 per gallon.
By ddeuel

4/15/08 at 11:35 a.m.

Suggest removal

RETIREMENT is a little confused in his comment. Officers of the Division of Parole and Probation contact offenders on their caseloads at all times of the day, including on the way to work and on the way home, which is only possible because the officers park their assigned vehicles at home. Unfortunately, RETIREMENT does not disguise being a disgruntled state employee very well.
By darkhorse

4/15/08 at 1:56 p.m.

Suggest removal

If you think P&P are using their cars on the way to and from home you have got to be kidding. The vast majority of DPS and County workers do not use their vehicles on a call out basis. Its a perk that may come to an end after these audits. When is the last time you saw a Sgt, Lt, Capt, or Major get called out ddeual? If you have 24 hour coverage in shifts the need for take home vehicles is minuscule. Does the public need to pay for govt. workers commuting 60 miles each way in some cases (Major Parump). Look at the abuse and cost and tell me this perk is not on its way out. I am sorry but the trough has run dry. A parking lot behind the office is a lot cheaper than the cost to maintain all those vehicles. Not disgruntled, just stating the facts.
By Blue

4/15/08 at 7:19 p.m.

Suggest removal

UMC, the financially challenged county hospital, provides a $500-600 per month car allowance to administrators, associate administrators, and anyone else approved by the CEO. Free money to pay for their gas to and from work. More inappropriate use of the taxpayers money?
By Jgeremia

4/15/08 at 8:48 p.m.

Suggest removal

Here in Laughlin the cops drive in from Vegas in a cop car and get overtime for it! Fireman also get extra pay for living here. In fact it is common knowledge that senior fireman like to retire from Laughlin so they can get a better retirement package. My wife was on a committee to incorporate Laughlin and they found the average firefighter made in excess of $100,000. Even our Town Manager Jackie Brady uses a county car between here and Vegas (she is mentioned in the article). I've also been told she gets a condo furnished here in Laughlin but owns a home in Vegas. Maybe the Sun should look things over a little closer way out here in Laughlin.
By commentator989

4/16/08 at 5:26 p.m.

Suggest removal

From the look of things, it seems the managers are the biggest problem. Maybe the County should do what the MGM did and balance the budget in the process.
By lasvegasdweller

4/17/08 at 1:56 a.m.

Suggest removal

The Southern Nevada Health District has no such freebie vehicle policy. Food inspectors drive their own cars. And if they get into an accident, tough luck for the inspector, it's their insurance company who has to deal with it. Supervisors are not assigned vehicles either. If there is a emergency somewhere, well then they drive their own cars and get mileage reimbursed.
By Countyworker

4/17/08 at 8:43 a.m.

Suggest removal

This is nothing incomparison to the enormous waste of taxpayers dollars in hiring unnecassy consultants and being in bed with the Engineers and Contractors. Why can the government workers (highly skilled and paid) can't they do the work they are being paid for without hiring consultants? They can but choose not to. It seems like almost all actions done by the supervisers here in local government is based upon how much KICK-BACK can be recievd. It sickens me to watch this as an employee of the Coumty. We have to hire Consultant after Consultant to do the work we should be doing or is unessessary. Law enforcement should get involved. G-Sting is just the top of the iceburg. Corruption is deep seated in local government and has been for years. Especially here in Las Vegas.

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