Accident spurs call to review county cars

A Nassau legislator Thursday called for an accounting of all employees authorized to drive county vehicles after an assistant to County Executive Edward Mangano's chief deputy was involved in a four-car accident near Roosevelt Field before Christmas.

Citing the accident, Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick) asked County Comptroller George Maragos for the number of county vehicles, the names, titles and departments of employees assigned to drive them and whether the employees are allowed to take the cars to and from work. Noting the SUV did not display a county logo as required by law, Denenberg also asked how many cars are operated without proper identification.

Nassau's vehicle control act requires county cars except those driven by undercover police to be identified clearly as official vehicles. It also restricts taking cars home. The law does not affect union employees.

Maragos spokesman Jostyn Hernandez said the comptroller's office had reviewed Denenberg's letter "and . . . will provide [him] with the information he is requesting."

According to Nassau police, Chief Deputy Rob Walker's special assistant, Kristen DiCerbo, was driving the 2008 Chevy Tahoe on Stewart Avenue at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 19 when the accident occurred. County officials say she was authorized to drive the car, which is assigned to Walker, and was returning from a meeting at Eisenhower Park. No tickets were issued or injuries reported, they said.

"While we are laying off our lowest-paid workers, our highly paid deputies loan taxpayer-funded SUVs . . . to patronage employees for use after work hours," Denenberg said. "Apparently the administration's budget crisis applies only to civil service workers at the bottom of the pay grades but not to the politically connected."

Walker said, "Since taking office County Executive Mangano has reduced the county fleet by 72 vehicles and eliminated millions of dollars in waste added to government by Legislator Denenberg."