CLAYTON • The free ride is over for department directors in St. Louis County government.
On Thursday, County Executive Charlie A. Dooley sent a memo to his 13 department heads informing them that as of Jan. 1, 2011, he was taking away their take-home cars.
Dooley said the move will save about $91,000 a year, which he described as a "drop in the bucket" compared with the county's $500 million annual budget.
"It's more symbolic than anything," Dooley said. "It shows the people that we understand that these are difficult times, and things are not what they used to be.
"There are guys out there who are not making half as much (as department directors) and they're asking, 'I got to buy my own car? Why don't they?'"
Dooley said the department heads will also lose their gas cards, which they use to refuel the take-home cars at public expense.
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Altogether, the county has 34 take-home cars, including several assigned to health employees on a state contract to inspect dairy facilities, many of them outstate. Dooley said the new policy will not apply to those inspectors or to Police Department officials and others he described as "essential personnel."
He included himself in the latter category and will not be giving up his car, a 2007 Chevy Impala.
"No, I can't. Because 95 percent of the places that I drive to are on public business," said Dooley, who is paid $140,000 a year, before benefits. "I don't have a life. It's sad. I'm on duty for the county 24/7, 365 days a year. And I don't know of another chief official who doesn't have a take-home car."
The policy to provide department heads with vehicles they could take home and refuel at public expense started 40 years ago, during the administration of then-County Executive Lawrence K. Roos.
The practice was the subject of a Post-Dispatch story in May. The story included details of the many public officials throughout the area who enjoy the perk, including the parks director in Kirkwood, the mayor of Belleville and officials in the city of St. Louis.
Many officials can use their vehicles for personal business, as well as commuting. Typically, taxpayers cover insurance, maintenance and fuel.
Dooley acknowledged that he took the action in response to the newspaper story.
"I can't lie," he said. "The Post-Dispatch made us think twice about this issue."
In the county, department heads were entitled to a county-owned take-home car that they could use for unlimited personal business.
County department heads have said that they consider the vehicles and fuel to be a fringe benefit and an incentive to continue working for the county.
The county's chief operating officer, Garry Earls, said Thursday that he was "disappointed" to learn that he would be losing the use of his county-owned 2005 Ford Explorer.
"I'm really thrilled to lose $7,000 a year in pay," Earls deadpanned in an interview in Dooley's office. "But it is an element of the time."
Earls, who is paid $148,000 a year, before benefits, said he would have to buy a car.
"Other than the (county-owned) Ford Explorer, I don't have one," he said.
Others in county government with take-home cars include Parks Director Lindsey Swanick (2007 Jeep Liberty); Denny Coleman, head of the county Economic Council (2008 Chevy Impala); and County Counselor Patricia Redington and director of revenue Eugene Leung (both drive 2010 Ford Fusions).
The county paid about $25,000 each for the Ford Fusions.
Dooley said the directors' take-home cars would join the county's fleet of pool cars. "If they need to drive somewhere on county business, they can use a car from the pool," he said.
Dooley said the new policy is part of a plan to cut 1 percent from the county's budget next year.
He also said he is strongly considering maintaining a wage freeze that began two years ago for all county employees.