There was another shakeup at Hartford City Hall Wednesday, following a series of high profile problems involving city issued take home cars for employees. Mayor Pedro Segarra announced he was getting rid of dozens of those cars starting immediately.
Most of the city workers who drove them home nearly every day, would now have to use their personal vehicles. The Mayor says it will save taxpayers thousand of dollars.
Mayor Segarra wrote a letter to City Councilors and explained he cut the number of take home cars from 73 to 45. Most cuts came from the Hartford Police Department.
“I just don’t think he went far enough,” explained Councilor Ken Kennedy. He was surprised about how many cars were initially out there. He said more cuts needed to be made, and thought only the Mayor, Police Chief, and Fire Chief should have them, especially after the recent problems.
“I think that list should be in credibly small,” Kennedy explained.
Last month the Mayor’s former Chief of Staff was arrested for taking his city issued car without permission after resigning and just last week, Rhonda Moniz-Carroll, the Deputy Director of Hartford’s Public Works Department, was fired when police said she was driving drunk in her take home car and crashed.
“I think it's great that the Mayor has acknowledged we have too many take home vehicles,” City Council President Shawn Wooden explained.
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While City Councilors called the Mayor’s move a step in the right direction, they wanted to make further changes. They might consider taking away even more city issued cars in the coming weeks.
A spokesperson from the Mayor's office said Segarra was not available for a comment on the changes.
