By Deb Kelly, The Tribune-Star
deb.kelly@tribstar.com
TERRE HAUTE - As part of a new directive issued by the city on Wednesday, all Terre Haute city vehicles will be operating on a fuel restriction.
Mayor Duke Bennett issued the directive in response to rising fuel prices and as part of an effort to manage the annual budget, he said.
"We have a ton of vehicles," Bennett said during an interview Thursday. "We've been beginning to look at ways to cut budgets, and with fuel going up, it's just a very specific area we can focus on."
The city will assess how much fuel each type of vehicle uses in a typical seven-day period and then assign fuel cards set to allow only a specific amount of fuel for the week.
Some vehicles will require around 17 gallons per week, whereas some, such as police patrol cars, will need up to 35 gallons.
Any fuel needed after that will be subject to supervisor approval or will have to be paid out of the employee's own pocket, Bennett said.
The city's fleet includes law enforcement and public safety vehicles, among other types of trucks and cars, and the mayor said the current emphasis is on "take-home vehicles," those used by employees who often are on call and drive their city-owned vehicles home at night.
Some personal use is expected, Bennett said, but "we can't have excessive use," he added. "We are telling them, if they drive it home, to park it. I'm doing the same thing with mine," he said. "We are trying to reduce after-hours use of vehicles."
The Police Department began operating under the fuel restrictions about six weeks ago, Bennett said.
Currently, fuel costs the city about $1 million per year, he said.
The mayor pointed out that as of the end of April, half of Terre Haute's fuel line items were on or under budget, and overall, the city is just 3 percent over its annual budget.
Still, "we have to cut nearly $2 million from next year's budget and $5 million in 2010," Bennett said. "By taking a hard look at vehicle usage and fuel costs now, we are attempting to lessen the impact ... "