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Batesville council adopts new mileage reimbursement for take‑home police vehicles
Summary
After extended debate, the Batesville City Council approved a policy to reimburse half the IRS mileage rate for take‑home police vehicles beyond a 15‑mile allowance, with amounts deducted from payroll and the policy reviewed annually.
The Batesville City Council voted to change how it reimburses officers who take city vehicles home, approving a policy that pays half of the IRS mileage rate for miles driven beyond the council’s existing 15‑mile allowance.
The action followed a lengthy discussion about fairness, administrative burden and vehicle depreciation after an officer asked to exceed the 15‑mile limit. Mayor Rick Eillebaugh presided over the debate and members raised operational concerns about vehicle availability and payroll handling. One council member framed the motion: “Half of the IRS rate for the mileage over and above the 15 miles that’s already allowed,” which was moved and seconded; the motion passed by voice vote.
Supporters said tying the benefit to a percentage of the IRS rate creates an automatic annual adjustment. A council member argued that a flat monthly stipend could become stale as gas and maintenance costs change, and proposed indexing the allowance so it scales with IRS adjustments. The council discussed payroll mechanics, with one member noting it could be deducted across pay periods; staff said it would likely require manual setup and periodic review.
Council members used several examples in the discussion. The math presented by a council speaker estimated that, for an officer working 14 shifts a month and driving a 22‑mile round trip (308 miles monthly), paying a portion of the IRS rate would have a calculable impact on paychecks; one council member cited a sample figure of roughly $47.62 per payroll if half the IRS rate were applied and split across paychecks.
The council directed staff to implement the deduction process and to return for an annual review so the figure can be adjusted with the IRS mileage rate. The motion was adopted by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded on the record.
