The vote on whether to accept or reject the proposal brokered by the FOP and Metro Government on the take home car program has been settled. 546 people came out to vote on the issue. The final tally was overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal with 501 "YES" votes and only 45 "NO" votes. The agreement must now go to the Metro Council for ratification.
This is the second major hurdle that Mayor Fischer has overcome in settling disputes that the Abramson administration chose to litigate and languish in the court system for years. The only people making money off of all that litigation has been the attorneys and it is a breath of fresh air for this community to see common sense taking precedence for a change.
The agreement is as follows:
Metro will reimburse each current and former sworn member for all gasoline fees paid prior to this agreement. Reimbursement will be on a separate check and will not be reported as income or be taxed. Checks will be available by April 1, 2011.
No gasoline fees will be charged to members that do not use a LMPD vehicle in conjunction with secondary employment.
Members will pay a gasoline fee for each applicable month in which they are allowed to use a LMPD vehicle associated with secondary employment. These fees may fluctuate and will be determined based on the average monthly retail price for a gallon of regular gasoline, in the Louisville area, as reported on AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report for the month the vehicle was used for secondary employment. The average monthly cost will determine the amount of the gasoline fee.
The agreement will not begin until April 1, 2011
The fee will be as follows:
1.) If the average price for gas is $4.00 or less per gallon, the fee will be $50 per applicable month.
2.) If the average price for gas is between $4.01 and $5.00 per gallon, the fee will be $70 per applicable month.
3.) If the average price for gas is more than $5.00 per gallon, the fee will be $90 per applicable month.
• This will be a two year agreement.