Baltimore County officials say that since Councilman T. Bryan McIntire's last car accident — the fifth in seven years — he has not requested a replacement county-owned vehicle. That's fortunate, as it allows County Executive James T. Smith Jr. and his staff to avoid the potentially difficult decision over whether he should be allowed one.
The 80-year-old councilman is probably unhappy that the June 3 collision at Jenifer and Timonium roads in Timonium has gotten so much attention, considering there were no injuries or citations issued. But it's difficult not to view the incident as part of an alarming pattern: The councilman has been at fault in most, if not all, of the collisions, according to a review of the records by Towson Times reporter Bryan P. Sears.
As anyone with parents or other older relations can tell you, it's not easy to tell someone that it's time to give up driving. But when the subject in question is a four-term Republican councilman and the county executive is a Democrat, the decision could easily take on political overtones and lead to wrangling over executive versus legislative authority.
It's also a fight that can — and should — be avoided by eliminating the use of county vehicles by members of the County Council. Better to allow council members to use their own vehicles and receive mileage reimbursement (currently 50 cents per mile for fuel, insurance and other ownership expenses) from the county.
Such a policy would mean that accidents like those in which Mr. McIntire has been involved would likely cause his insurance coverage to be dropped. The responsibility about what to do next would then be entirely in the hands of the councilman and his family, a far more appropriate venue for it.
Mr. McIntire isn't the only member of the council with a questionable driving history. Councilman S.G. Samuel Moxley has wisely chosen not to use a county vehicle since his 2005 arrest for driving under the influence. Had he not chosen that course of action, the county might have been put in the position of taking a substantial liability risk.
Considering Baltimore County's fiscally penurious ways, it's surprising that the council hasn't taken away its own cars before now just to save money at a time of government budget cutbacks. Surely, the policy is juicy fodder for county executive candidates (including two current council members) in an election year. The Anne Arundel County Council recently voted to stop the practice there. Although, to be fair to Baltimore County, Mr. McIntire was driving a 2004 Pontiac Bonneville at the time of his most recent crash — not exactly living large.
Sometimes, accidents happen. Every private company with a fleet of company cars has to make decisions about whether certain employees can be entrusted with them. County governments have to make those same decisions, too. But when it comes to council members, that's a far tougher call to make. Better to let them drive their own cars and not force taxpayers to enable their potentially risky behavior on the road.