FORT WAYNE, IN (Indiana's NewsCenter) --- Local government officials are trying to balance the benefits and costs of take home vehicles for Allen County employees and Fort Wayne City Police.

Indiana’s NewsCenter obtained take home vehicle records from both the city and county.

The impact on budgets is immense.

As a result, take home vehicle privileges are being scrutinized.

If you break out in a cold sweat going for a fill-up, you're not alone.

Leaders of city and county government are under the "gas gun" too.

The county has cut take home vehicles by 40 percent since 2002.

Nelson Peters/(R) Allen County Commissioner: " Eventually we'll get to a point where I think we've got a greater level of comfort in terms of how these vehicles are used."

Records obtained by Indiana's NewsCenter show the non-business miles put on the 77 county take home vehicles still in use total just under 270-thousand miles for a year.

At 20 miles to the gallon, that costs taxpayers more than 42-thousand dollars, and again that doesn't count gas consumption for business-use of those vehicles.

Neumeyer: " I'm holding a copy of the county's take home vehicle policy and procedures manual. One of the points is that an employee can't have a take home car if the amount of miles they drive to and from work, the commuting miles, exceed the business miles put on it."

Our investigation revealed nine of the county take home vehicles right now are violating that very policy.

Peters: " We'll continue to look at that and we'll continue to pare the policy down as we go on."

The City of Ft. Wayne may be a step ahead on this, trimming its non-public safety fleet in 2004 from 45 down to 8.

Director Bob Kennedy/Ft. Wayne Public Works: " It saved us around 50-thousand a year, just in fuel alone, included by using pool vehicles within the departments and from our fleet garage."

Neumeyer: " The real expense incurred by the city regarding take home vehicles comes from the police department. More than 400 officers are assigned a take home car. Within the county lines, they essentially have unlimited use of them, and it doesn't cost the officer a thing."

But the gas consumption costs city taxpayers, 118-thousand dollars in April, 80-thousand more than in April of 2001.

That's close to a million dollars a year, and that's just the increase in seven years time.

Chief Rusty York is now considering a policy change that would greatly limit officers' use of their cruiser while off duty.

The projected savings...

Chief Rusty York/FWPD: " 200-thousand would be a fair estimate. I think this is one area we really have to look at. We don't want to lose personnel."

A big question, would such changes hamper crime fighting?

Extra police presence was the reason the take home policy was put in force.

But Chief York says in this extraordinary gasoline market, something may have to suffer.