Committee recommends EMA take‑home vehicle policy, approves $9,000 in benefits pending policy adoption

The DeWitt County Finance Committee on Aug. 18 recommended to the full board a draft Emergency Management Agency (EMA) take‑home vehicle policy and separately approved $9,000 in additional compensation benefits for the EMA Coordinator if the policy is adopted. EMA Coordinator Will Pavelek told the committee that allowing a take‑home vehicle would preserve operational efficiency for after‑hours and weekend response; the minutes record that “The approximate value of this benefit is $9000.”

Committee members debated the policy's scope. Chair Melonie Tilley questioned why the EMA Coordinator needed a vehicle at home on weekends and raised concerns about increased fuel and maintenance costs, while Claro Carter noted that in cases where response locations are distant—such as Weldon or Farmer City—direct travel from home could save response time. The committee approved recommending the policy to the full board with changes and asked the State's Attorney to review the draft. The committee also approved the $9,000 benefit contingent on policy approval.

The draft policy circulated with the minutes includes eligibility criteria (employee on‑call 24/7 or frequent after‑hours duties; residence within 25 miles of the county boundary), limited personal use de minimis guidance, vehicle identification and equipment expectations, mileage logging, and a statement that the county will report the taxable value of the fringe benefit in annual W‑2 reporting. The minutes indicate the policy will be reviewed by the State's Attorney before full‑board consideration.