Ulster County committee adopts fleet take-home vehicle policy over union objections

The Ulster County Public Works and Capital Projects Committee on March 10 voted 4 to 1 to approve resolution 52, adopting a countywide fleet vehicle take‑home policy and sending the measure on to the full Legislature.

The policy, sponsored by Legislator Maloney, was moved by Legislator Kovacs and seconded by Legislator Litz. Committee debate focused on whether the measure would remove long‑standing take‑home vehicles from positions that historically received them and whether the change could prompt union litigation.

The policy matters because it would formalize who is eligible to take county vehicles home and could convert some previously informal benefits into fleet assets. Deputy Executive Laval told the committee that the county has already denied a recent request for a take‑home vehicle tied to a promotion and that the union "are exploring their legal, kind of action." Laval said the union may file an improper practice charge with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).

Sponsor Legislator Maloney argued the policy restores consistency. "There was a policy on the books when these vehicles were given, and they violated that policy," Maloney said, saying past vehicle assignments were "random" rather than consistently tied to title or job duties. Maloney also proposed using the IRS valuation method for any taxable‑value adjustments as a way to avoid larger budget impacts.

Several committee members raised operational concerns. Maloney said vehicles currently used as take‑home cars could instead serve as daytime fleet vehicles for Department of Public Works employees who have been driving older, deteriorated trucks; "it's been terrible for morale," he said, describing conversations with county workers about vehicle condition.

Chair Nolan cautioned the committee about legal and administrative costs even if the county were likely to prevail: "We could win a lot of things, but pay a lot of money to do it," Nolan said, urging the committee to consider the cost of litigation and the value of negotiating with the union before triggering formal disputes.

Legislator Kovacs, a mover of the motion, said the policy had been developed by a bipartisan Fleet Management Review Committee over months and recommended moving it to the Legislature's Ways and Means Committee. Legislator Litz, who served on the subcommittee that drafted the policy, said the group voted unanimously and urged the committee to advance it.

The committee approved the resolution 4–1 and referred it to the full Legislature and Ways and Means for further consideration. Committee members requested a memo from the county attorney and indicated they would consider additional negotiation with the union as the Legislature examines the policy.

The resolution record shows committee-level approval; the union notification to PERB and any subsequent administrative filings were described in the meeting but no formal complaint was filed during the session.