JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – An ordinance banning many Jackson city employees from taking home city-owned vehicles could go into effect early next month.
Recently, the council voted to override the mayor’s veto of an ordinance that would prohibit many employees from using city vehicles for non-city business.
The vote came nearly two months after the council initially voted to amend city code, and just weeks after Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba vetoed the amendments.
Council President Aaron Banks said the ordinance will go into effect 30 days from the date of the veto override, pending an appeal to the court system.
Banks said the measure is needed to help save taxpayer money and prevent the abuse of Fuelman cards.
“The only people that should be taking vehicles home are essential employees,” he said. “We don’t need non-essential employees taking vehicles out of town every day on the city’s dime.”
In addition to banning many employees from taking vehicles home, the new code also would prohibit the transfer of vehicles between departments without council approval.
Since October 1, 2020, 10 vehicles purchased using Jackson Police Department funds were transferred to other divisions.
That number includes three 2022 Dodge Durango sports utility vehicles purchased in 2022/23 and transferred to the mayor’s office.
It also includes a 2008 Nissan Altima and 2015 Dodge Ram transferred to Constituent Services in 2022, a 2008 Nissan Altima and 2008 Nissa Pathfinder transferred to the Jackson Fire Department in 2022, and a 2008 Nissan Altima transferred to the city’s Information Technology Department in 2018.
A 2015 Dodge Avenger purchased through JPD was transferred to the administration. However, records did not indicate what year it was transferred. It was returned to the department in 2021.
Employees exempt from the ordinance include all police and certified police department personnel as permitted by the chief of police; command staff members of the Jackson Fire Department as permitted by the chief; essential employees of the Public Works Department, as deemed essential to respond to emergencies by the public works director; the director of Planning and Development and the code enforcement manager, the director of Parks and Recreation, and the mayor.
Departments that violate the policy could face a decrease in Fuelman funds, as well as budgeted amounts for the purchase of new vehicles, the ordinance states.
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