Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has let the air out of the tires on a complaint parked at his doorstop by Controller Chelsa Wagner, who had complained that he had misused his county vehicle and owed the taxpayers at least $13,125.
Faced with what he called a “logistical nightmare” in compiling information requested by Ms. Wagner, Mr. Fitzgerald simply turned in his 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with 150,605 miles on the odometer, and agreed to reimburse the county $42,737.52.
That figure represents the number of miles he has driven since taking office on Jan. 3, 2012 — 76,317 miles — multiplied by 56 cents a mile, the IRS current reimbursement.
From now on, he says he will drive his own vehicle at his own expense — travel, gas mileage, wear and tear. It is an unusually generous response, which makes political sense. In his old, well-traveled vehicle, Mr. Fitzgerald wasn’t riding around in the lap of luxury, but if taxpayers had any complaint they should now have none.
This result is also a win for public policy. The report by Ms. Wagner has moved Mr. Fitzgerald to look at the use of take-home vehicles in general, which may lead to some county employees losing their wheels. He has submitted legislation to bring vehicle use in line with ethics rule.
There is still the matter of a complaint referred to the state Ethics Commission, which may or may not proceed with it. But Mr. Fitzgerald has placed himself firmly on the high road. And the county controller can also claim some credit that it has come to this.
First Published: November 17, 2014, 5:00 a.m.