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FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - On a recent Monday morning we saw Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves heading to work. He was driving a Crown Vic, paid for by the taxpayers.
In fact, he drives it all the time. We saw it at his home, driving down the highway, parked in the administration building.
“It's a take-home car,” says Eaves, “which allows me to meet multiple demands of my job throughout the county.”
But, Former Fulton Commissioner Robb Pitts, says there is a problem with that.
“Wrong. Totally wrong,” says Pitts. “In violation of the county policy.”
For years, there has been controversy surrounding Fulton County Commissioner's cars. That's why county commissioners adopted a strict pool car policy. It makes a pool car available for commissioners, but only for occasional trips during working hours. No take home cars.
So, how did Chairman Eaves get a take home car? That's where the story gets interesting.
We asked for records on the take home car and were given a one page "car pool report" showing Chairman Eaves put more than 8400 miles on his government car during the first nine months of last year.
But Eaves insists the paperwork was wrong and he is not driving a pool car. “It was misclassified. It's a take-home car,” says Eaves.
We asked to see the original paperwork assigning him a take home car. There wasn't’t any.
So, how did he get a car? Chairman Eaves, says in 2012, then County Manager Zach Williams, gave him verbal permission to go outside the county car pool policy and take home a 2005 Crown Victoria.
But, Zach Williams doesn't recall giving his permission for a take home car. He is now Chief Operating Officer for DeKalb County and didn't want to talk on camera, but told me: "I didn't think then, and don't think now I had the authority to ignore county policy."
Robb Pitts once ran against John Eaves for chairman and was on the board of commissioners when Eaves first took his county car home.
Pitts says none of the commissioners knew about it. “Had that come up for a vote, it would have been voted down unanimously, says Eaves.
William Perry, director of Georgia Ethics Watchdogs, finds it is extremely troubling.
“They can change county policy in one meeting,” says Perry. “If there is a need for chairman to have a car, change the policy. Don't violate the policy and say its ok.”