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Inspectional staff say auto and fuel allowances are modest; department asks for fuel access review
Summary
Inspectional services staff said inspectors receive an auto allowance and a monthly fuel stipend; building and inspection leaders asked the administration to consider direct city vehicles or access to the city fuel depot to reduce out‑of‑pocket costs and improve tracking.
Inspectional services and related departments told the finance committee that field inspectors receive an auto allowance plus a monthly fuel stipend but urged administrators to review whether inspectors should be assigned city vehicles or regain depot fueling access.
Building Commissioner Michael Hathaway explained that inspectors receive a fuel stipend and a monthly auto allowance: "We get $300 a month stipend for fuel," he said, and noted the stipend is taxable and reduced by withholding. He said the current out‑of‑pocket approach produces administrative and fairness concerns because city‑operated fueling (wholesale, non‑taxed) is handled differently for other departments and some departments that use only city vehicles do not incur the same costs.
Hathaway told the committee he and the interim finance director are discussing returning inspector fueling to the city depot or providing marked city vehicles for staff who are on the road full time. Committee members urged staff to prepare a proposal that quantifies lifecycle costs for city vehicles versus allowances, and the administration said it will study options and return with recommendations.
Why this matters: inspectors travel extensively and their vehicle availability and fueling method affect response times, enforcement capacity and departmental costs. Councilors raised equity questions about who receives city vehicles and how to account for fuel costs.
