County Council no longer get paid more for driving SUV's (WA)

[freeplessinseattle]

No longer will Chairman Larry Phillips and five other high-riding members of the King County Council get reimbursed more per mile for piloting their personal SUVs on county business than council members who scuttle about in smaller cars.

A recent change in official policy, which now applies the same mileage reimbursement rate to any personal car used by a council member for county business, was prompted by a TV news report this spring detailing the council's long-standing policy of paying out more for bigger vehicles, Phillips said yesterday.

The net effect of the change will be to reduce the money most council members are paid for personal vehicle use.

For example, Jane Hague, a Bellevue Republican, gets $547.20 a month for the 1,000 miles she estimates she drives her own SUV on council business monthly. Under the new policy, she would get $405, or 40.5 cents a mile, if she itemized individual trips adding up to 1,000 miles. But she'll receive 90 percent of that, or $364.50, if she continues to estimate her official travel at 1,000 miles a month, which council staff members report she will do


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/231919_cars09.html

[napi21]

1. It's about time the people of King county put some pressure on these

folks! I wonder if they will report the difference between what they're reimbursed and the Fed mileage allowance as income? That's the way it works in private business!!!

[kestrel91316]

2. I don't want to hear any whining from these officials either .........

if they don't like it, they can da--ed well trade in their gas hogs on hybrids!