The need for Knox County vehicle policies

The indictment of Knox County’s property assessor for official misconduct demonstrates the need for stricter policies of use of official vehicles. (Photo of Old Knox County Courthouse: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

Knox County Property Assessor Phil Ballard faces one count of official misconduct for, in the words of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, improperly using a “county vehicle approximately 150 times while receiving a $7,600 annual travel allowance and repaid $2,776.95 after the improper use was discovered.” 

Ballard, who has served as assessor since 2008, and I started together as Knox County commissioners in 2006. In fact, we traveled together, along with fellow new Commissioner Greg Lambert, to training sessions in Nashville for newly-elected county officers. 

He’s has been a guest in my reporting class at the University of Tennessee, and I’d like to withhold judgment on these matters, awaiting the actions of the courts. Instead, I’d prefer to write about the importance of all Tennessee counties having good, clear and enforced policies on county vehicles.

As Ballard, Lambert and I joined the commission, there was a sharp power rivalry between Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and County Sheriff Tim Hutchison.  The two even had separate welcoming and orientation sessions for new commissioners.  Sheriff devotee and Commission Chair Scott Moore once brought up a motion to withdraw the mayor’s county vehicle or reduce his travel allotment. The motion had some merit, but ignored substantial vehicle discrepancies on the sheriff side, so I passed on the vote and explained that Moore’s motion was not comprehensive enough. 

My abstention tied the vote; the motion failed.  Moore rewarded/punished me by appointing me as chair of an ad hoc vehicle committee. The other members were Lambert and Commissioner Mike Hammond.  We held public hearings and sought  documents about which vehicles were held by which county departments, who had access to them, and what were the rules for vehicle use. Hammond looked into GPS and whether it could be used to track use and potential misuse.  Lambert explored vehicles assigned to judges.  I visited the local facility where many county vehicles were fueled, maintained, and repaired. 

I also did some research, starting with the County Technical Assistance Service and the Municipal Technical Assistance Service, part of the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service.  I found vehicle policies from other cities and counties.  I even read through a specialized magazine Government Fleet, and used SurveyMonkey to reach out to those who managed county vehicles

The result was something of a “greatest hits” policy, selecting the best from several thorough county policies from around the country.  I presented a draft to the commission, but knew that several changes would be needed to round up the necessary votes to pass.  I had to exempt schools to avoid potential lawsuits about whether county commissioners were stepping on the authority of the school board. I reluctantly exempted the sheriff’s department (otherwise, the whole effort would have died), even though I suspected several unneeded take-home vehicles resided there. The plan passed.  

However, as the Ballard prosecution shows, the county may have slipped back into some bad habits.

Here are some suggestions for counties large and small about county vehicles:

• Take home vehicles should be limited only to jobs that require a daily and frequent presence on the road, and response to emergencies overnight. They should not be used as salary supplements or other perks.
• One may not “double dip” using both a government vehicle and a travel allowance, excepting distant travel such as conferences where the county vehicle cannot serve to get the person there.
• Some current research looks into state and local electric vehicle policies. Counties should explore this for both environmental and cost savings reasons. The key to such savings will be widely available charging stations, and a fee structure that rewards electric vehicle ownership and does not punish it with fees.
• Traditional gas refueling at any county pumps, or from private sources, must have precise records to assure that fuel is not being diverted to personal use related to county vehicles.
• Smoking must be prohibited in county vehicles. This reduces exposure to second-hand smoke and helps avoid needless decline in resale value.
• County vehicles may not be used for personal trips.
• Cell phone use should be avoided while driving. Communication should be kept to essential messages while opting for hands-free devices.
• Any and all accidents, moving violations or traffic/parking citations while using a county vehicle must be reported promptly to one’s immediate supervisor — or in the case of department heads, to both the sheriff and the county mayor.

   Other good policies certainly can and should be added to this starter list, but harsh experience has shown us that enforced policies are needed.