If you are assigned the use of City automobiles, trucks or equipment, you are expected to drive them with due care
especially observing all laws and rules of the road. All assigned vehicles/equipment must be maintained in a clean
and sanitary condition at all times by the operator of such vehicles/equipment. Any vehicle operating problems must
be reported to your supervisor or department head for immediate corrective action. The City stresses preventive
maintenance, and every operator of City vehicles/equipment is expected to cooperate by adhering to the maintenance
schedule and reporting vehicle deficiencies without delay.
Only City employees with the appropriate type of valid Texas driver’s license may operate a City-owned or City-
leased vehicle. Employees may operate City vehicles during normal working hours or shift assignments based upon
authorization of their department head for City-related use only. It is the department heads duty to ascertain that an
operator assigned to drive a vehicle, even if on a temporary basis, holds a valid driver’s license and is in sound
condition to operate the vehicle. The employee is required to have his driver’s license in his possession at all times
while operating a City vehicle. Employees operating City vehicles are not to drive such vehicles outside the Erath
County area unless prior authorization is received from their department head.
If you are assigned a City-owned or City-leased vehicle on a regular basis, you have the responsibility of seeing that
it is adequately serviced (gas, oil, filters, lubrication, tire pressure and replacement, maintenance for safety, etc.).
Items of a repair and replacement nature should normally be carried out by the City’s Fleet Service Center; however,
in cases where your assigned vehicle cannot be repaired or serviced in a timely manner by Fleet Services due to
that departments priorities, you must report the need for repairs or maintenance to your department head who will
make arrangements for alternative maintenance or repair service.
If you are on call or are expected to act on behalf of the City
during other than normal working hours or shift
assignments, you may be assigned the use of a City-owned or City-leased vehicle for take-home purposes. To be
eligible to use a City-owned or City-leased vehicle for take-home purposes, an employee must live within Erath
County and within ten miles of the city limits. (City vehicles may not be taken home unless an assignment form has
been completed and approved by the City Manager.) City-owned or City-leased vehicles taken home may be used
only by the employee for City-related business. Members of the employee’s family, neighbors or others are not to
either drive or be transported in the vehicle unless such actions are related to City work or result from a life-threatening
emergency or serious health problem. When an employee assigned the use of a vehicle for take-home purposes knows
in advance that s/he will be unable to work or be on call for a period of more than two (2) consecutive days (illness,
vacation, travel, etc.), the employee should arrange for the City vehicle to be returned to his/her department during
such absence.
Nothing in this policy is intended to prohibit any authorized employee from using a City vehicle as transportation for
purposes directly related to the performance of City duties during work assignments or on a call out. Employees are
not prohibited from being in a City vehicle while taking reasonable breaks for lunch, coffee, etc. during working hours
or in route to work or on a call; however, in no instance should an employee purchase alcoholic beverages or frequent
taverns, clubs or other drinking establishments while using a City-owned or City-leased vehicle.
Some supervisory-level employees may be given permission to transport members of their family, other City officials
or their families and others for out-of-town travel to functions related to the municipal service such as special hearings,
training programs, conventions, seminars, etc. This policy does not prohibit transporting non-City employees such as
vendors, consultants, inspectors, official guests, citizens, government officials, prisoners, and persons involved in
police investigations or other activities, etc. as a part of routine work assignments or public safetyactivities.
Failure to comply with the provisi
ons of this policy will result in appropriate disciplinary action.
Appendix E
Form 25
USE OF CITY VEHICLES