Santaquin may yank car perks

SANTAQUIN — Santaquin leaders don't want to suffer the same gas pains as their elected-official counterparts in Salt Lake County.

In other words, the Utah County city wants to avoid its own Guzzlegate.

Santaquin's City Council will decide Wednesday whether new City Manager Stefan Chatwin will get a city car or a car allowance.

Chatwin acknowledges it's a touchy subject, considering the recent controversy in Salt Lake County over misuse of government cars and gas allowances.

The scandal has led to the resignations of longtime Salt Lake County Auditor Craig Sorensen and the county's chief financial officer, Randy Allen.

Sorensen is charged with one count of second-degree felony misuse of public money for allegedly buying 7,641 gallons of gasoline that were not used for his county-issued vehicle. Court documents state this cost county taxpayers $10,139.

Allen used his county vehicle to haul his boat to Lake Powell twice last year.

The headline-making stories caused Santaquin's council, which meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 45 W. 100 South, to re-evaluate a gas-and-car benefit for the city's top administrator.

The taxpayer-funded car allowance for former City Manager Roger Carter was $450 monthly, similar to car allowances given to officials in larger cities.

But car allowances are based on what it costs to operate a car, not the population of the city where the official resides, Santaquin Mayor LaDue Scovill said.

Carter started with a car allowance of $350 a month. It was later increased.

The purse strings have been pulled tighter since January when several members of the City Council took office.

Already the council has reduced the salary of the new city manager to $60,000 annually plus benefits, Scovill said, down considerably from the former city manager's salary of less than $80,000 plus benefits.

With perks, Carter's pay was more than $90,000.

When Carter left in March for a similar job in Washington city, which is just north of St. George, he was at odds with the new council. His salary was a sticking point for critics who said it was too much for the blue-collar town.

The median household income in Santaquin is $44,531, according to the 2000 Census.

Chatwin's starting salary is $5,000 less than the city paid Carter when he started three years ago.