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Westmoreland fleet folderol
It's inexcusable that county officials don't have a firm handle on the use of Westmoreland's taxpayer-financed fleet of about 150 vehicles. According to a Trib report, the master list of cars assigned to various departments and the actual vehicles used by those departments don't jibe.
And a policy that requires annual reports on vehicle usage is followed loosely if at all. We're talking about a vehicle pool that costs taxpayers about $4 million.
So, exactly how does the county prevent abuse with regard to how its vehicles are being used and by whom?
Commissioners Tom Ceraso and Phil Light -- who are among the handful who actually file annual vehicle reports -- insist vehicle management rests with the county's department heads. We suppose a more realistic policy that better tracks county vehicles, and their drivers, would be a needless overreach. Heaven forbid!
Whether it's cars or computers or even the purchase of office supplies, county government plods along like a mammoth that escaped the Ice Age, virtually extinct in the private sector but thriving quite nicely on the public dole.
Without more responsible handlers who demand better accountability, the Westmoreland mammoth will simply keep trampling taxpayers' interests.
