LANSING – In an effort to further reform government spending, State Representatives Kate Ebli (D-Monroe) and Kathy Angerer (D-Dundee) supported a plan – passed by the House today – thatprohibits state employees from using taxpayer-financed vehicles for personal use.
"There is no more important issue than getting our state back on the road to recovery and attracting more businesses to Michigan in order to create good-paying jobs for our hard-working citizens," Ebli said. "My colleagues in the House and I are going through state government spending with a fine-toothed comb to trim fat and eliminate redundancies, and our reform measures include ending the practice of financing personal vehicles for state employees. This is the right thing to do for our residents."
The plan was introduced in the House after learning that Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges and their staffs were given taxpayer-funded vehicles as part of their jobs, and that these autos often were used for personal errands, such as shopping trips, golf outings and even vacations. The plan that passed the House today also extends banning the personal use of state vehicles to the auditor general, directors of state agencies, and other state employees.
A Detroit Free Press special report earlier this year found that the state spent more than $400,000 a year on taxpayer-funded vehicles for seven Supreme Court justices, 28 Appeals Court judges and 10 court staff members. The state spent nearly $49,000 on taxpayer-funded vehicles for the auditor general and directors of state agencies, according to the Michigan Department of Management and Budget. Eliminating these taxpayer-funded vehicles saves the state nearly $500,000 a year, based on spending in previous years.
In addition, the savings generated through a new state program that reimburses judiciary employees for work-related miles instead of providing vehicles for them is roughly estimated to save $259,100 a year, according to the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency.
"Ending free rides for judges, the auditor general and state agency directors is just one of the ways that my House colleagues and I are working to reform state government," Angerer said. "Financing personal vehicles for judges and other state employees who are already highly paid is lavish – and putting a stop to this special privilege saves valuable taxpayer dollars as we all work together to move Michigan forward. I urge the Senate to do what's best for our citizens and act quickly on this legislation."