Print this story |
E-mail story |
This story has 7 comments Add your own |
iPod friendly | Bookmark this
What is this?
Hand-me-down cars common for city
Published Tuesday, May 12, 2009
NATCHEZ — It’s a game of car hand-me-downs that keeps Natchez city officials moving.
According to tradition, each time a new mayor takes office, he gets a new car.
The previous mayor’s car stays on the road, though. It is passed to a city department in need.
The car shuffling allows the city to upgrade vehicles in a cost efficient way, City Clerk Donnie Holloway said.
Recreation Director Ralph Tedder is now driving the Mercury Mountaineer purchased by Mayor Phillip West.
Mayor Jake Middleton opted to move the Mountaineer from his city budget to the recreation budget in September.
The Mountaineer had a $730 per month car note.
The Mountaineer was purchased the second year of former Mayor Phillip West’s administration for $31,941.50.
In October 2008, the car note dropped from $730 to $439 a month, Holloway said.
Before making the November payment, the city transferred the car to the recreation department and let out bids for a new car for Middleton.
Middleton now drives a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis, with a monthly payment of $459.52.
Holloway said Tedder was chosen to receive the Mountaineer because the 1999 Dodge Intrepid Tedder was previously driving needed repair.
The repairs would have cost between $4,000 and $5,000.
So instead of buying a new car, Tedder got the Mountaineer.
Holloway also said had the city tried to trade the Mountaineer, the city would not have gotten much money on it, as it had more than 70,000 miles on it in the less than three years it was driven.
Holloway said it’s standard practice to swap cars among departments.
Before West acquired the Mountaineer, he drove a Mercury Grand Marquis, which was transferred to the public works department when West got the Mountaineer.
Comments
Posted by waytoreal (anonymous) on May 12, 2009 at 3:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
whats the point of this story? N.D. are you guys hurting for good topics?heres a few.1. how about a story about the youth of natchez getting ready to face another long hot summer without a public swimming pool? 2. what are the supervisors and alderman doing about this. why are they sitting back and doing nothing .its a shame. 3. this year marks the 20th year since the NATCHEZ ADAMS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT has been force to consolidate. a good now and then story would be great. how are the grades? whats the ratio of black and white sudents now and then. 4. a story about available summer programs and activities for the youth, whos giving summer jobs etc.....
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on May 12, 2009 at 5:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
70,000 miles in less than 3 years? I guess that Mountaineer went to a lot of golf games......
Posted by sideline (anonymous) on May 12, 2009 at 7:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Natchez Democrat has run out of things to write about, I agree.
Posted by sandyman7 (anonymous) on May 12, 2009 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Question....Do people with city cars get to use them for "personal" use??? Like running to store to get loaf of bread???
Posted by treeclimber (anonymous) on May 12, 2009 at 9:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If the ND is going to write a story about the city-owned cars, then write one detailing WHO gets one. Does the city include earnings in their W-2's to make up for personal miles used? What is the total amount spent on city-owned cars used by personnel? How many city-owned vehicles are there? And the types? Sandyman7, you could have also written "to take their children to Vidalia Schools??" (This practice may have stopped but it was in use a couple of years ago.)
Posted by Greenfields (anonymous) on May 12, 2009 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I enjoyed the story, FWIW I didn't know how that all worked, now I do.
Posted by lsumom (anonymous) on May 12, 2009 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So let the city leaders get new cars just because that is what has always been done!! Then to pass on a car like a moutaineer. Even though gas prices are not what they were one year ago, they are beginning to climb again. To give the rec director who has to drive to different areas a gas guzzler makes a whole lot of sense. For that matter, all the city personnel who HAVE to have a city car should be driving something small with good gas mileage. What is it about these people that they think they have to look good driving all over town, including their personal business, in these cars. I have even seen some of them taking and picking their children up from school and driving them home in the middle of the day. Some even as far away as out liberty road/kingston area. Wonder who pays for that gas and are they using their luch hour or is that just a freebe where they come and go as they please. I sure would like one of those jobs.
Post a comment (Terms of Use Policy)
(Requires free registration.)