MIAMI --
Close to 300 Miami-Dade employees are being told to find their own way to and from work.
Several departments are cutting the number of county-owned vehicles employees are allowed to take home after their shifts.
As Local 10 reported last month, 530 civilian employees have what are known as 24-hour vehicle assignments.
Twenty-two Animal Control officers and investigators will no longer be allowed to drive their marked county vehicles home. The department will now have two vehicles out on a rotational basis to meet after-hours emergency needs.
The Enterprise Technology Services Department decided to relinquish all 31 take-home vehicle assignments effective Oct. 1.
The library system, Aviation Department and Public Works Department are doing the same.
The Parks and Recreation Department currently has 13 24-hour vehicle assignments.
"After a thorough review, it has been determined that four of these assignments should be rescinded, seven will be left at the nearest county facility at night and two will remain 24-hour take-home assignments," Director Jack Kardys wrote to the mayor's office.
The Miami-Dade Solid Waste Department will reduce its take-home fleet from 16 vehicles to nine. Miami-Dade Water and Sewer will reduce its fleet from 82 vehicles to 14.
Four employees in the Elevator Safety Office will no longer be allowed to drive county vehicles home.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue isn't planning to reduce its take-home fleet of 64 vehicles.
The Building and Neighborhood Compliance department is only reducing its 119-car take-home fleet by four.
The Miami-Dade Department of Corrections is still evaluating what to do with its 44 take-home vehicles.
The Miami-Dade Police Department allows 2,650 marked and unmarked cars to go home with officers. Police Director James Loftus is recommending a $50 per pay period vehicle fuel surcharge for all personnel with assigned vehicles. The director said the fee would generate approximately $3.45 million a year, which is over two-thirds of the fuel costs.
Mayor Carlos Gimenez has to review and agree to the recommendations.
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