B-165070, SEPT. 10, 1968
Highlights
YOU ARE CLAIMING AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF $198.13 FOR THE USE OF YOUR PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION BETWEEN THE TIME A SLIDING RATE SCALE BECAME EFFECTIVE (APRIL 1967) AND THE TIME YOU RECEIVED AN INTERAGENCY MOTOR POOL AUTOMOBILE (JANUARY 1968). AT THE TIME THE SLIDING RATE SCALE WAS PUT INTO EFFECT. THE FILE REFLECTS THAT YOU WERE INFORMED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE SACRAMENTO OFFICE IN APRIL 1967 THAT THERE WOULD BE A CONSIDERABLE DELAY IN OBTAINING THE USE OF GOVERNMENT OWNED CARS AND YOU WOULD BE EXPECTED TO USE YOUR OWN CAR FOR OFFICIAL TRAVEL AND BE REIMBURSED AT THE SLIDING RATE SCALE. THE REGULATIONS REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENTS AND ESTABLISHMENTS TO FIX SUCH RATES AT OR UNDER 12 CENTS A MILE AS WILL MOST NEARLY COMPENSATE THE EMPLOYEE FOR NECESSARY EXPENSES.
B-165070, SEPT. 10, 1968
TO MR. J. P. MOORE:
THIS REFERS TO YOUR LETTER OF JULY 22, 1968, REQUESTING RECONSIDERATION OF OUR OFFICE SETTLEMENT OF JULY 9, 1968, WHICH DISALLOWED YOUR CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR ADDITIONAL MILEAGE FOR USE OF YOUR PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE FOR TRAVEL PERFORMED DURING THE PERIOD APRIL 3, 1967, TO JANUARY 24, 1968, AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION.
YOU ARE CLAIMING AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF $198.13 FOR THE USE OF YOUR PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION BETWEEN THE TIME A SLIDING RATE SCALE BECAME EFFECTIVE (APRIL 1967) AND THE TIME YOU RECEIVED AN INTERAGENCY MOTOR POOL AUTOMOBILE (JANUARY 1968). AT THE TIME THE SLIDING RATE SCALE WAS PUT INTO EFFECT, THE FILE REFLECTS THAT YOU WERE INFORMED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE SACRAMENTO OFFICE IN APRIL 1967 THAT THERE WOULD BE A CONSIDERABLE DELAY IN OBTAINING THE USE OF GOVERNMENT OWNED CARS AND YOU WOULD BE EXPECTED TO USE YOUR OWN CAR FOR OFFICIAL TRAVEL AND BE REIMBURSED AT THE SLIDING RATE SCALE.
THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS, ISSUED BY THE BUREAU OF THE BUDGET, PROVIDE FOR THE USE OF PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILES ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS AND THAT EMPLOYEES SHALL BE PAID NOT TO EXCEED 12 CENTS A MILE FOR SUCH USE OF THEIR PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILES. THE REGULATIONS REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENTS AND ESTABLISHMENTS TO FIX SUCH RATES AT OR UNDER 12 CENTS A MILE AS WILL MOST NEARLY COMPENSATE THE EMPLOYEE FOR NECESSARY EXPENSES.
THE FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION PERMITS THE USE OF PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILES WHEN IT IS DETERMINED TO BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE GOVERNMENT SO LONG AS THE COST TO THE GOVERNMENT IS NO MORE THAN THE APPROXIMATE COST WHICH THE AGENCY WOULD INCUR IF "POOL" CARS WERE USED. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY A SLIDING SCALE OF REIMBURSEMENT RATES WHICH DIMINISH AS MILEAGE INCREASES EACH MONTH. THE SCALE RECOGNIZES THAT DEPRECIATION AND OTHER FIXED CHARGES, WHEN SPREAD OVER A GREATER NUMBER OF MILES, REDUCE THE AVERAGE COST PER MILE FOR DRIVERS WHO USE THEIR CARS EXTENSIVELY ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS. THE MILEAGE RATES WITHIN THE MAXIMUM ARE MATTERS WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATIVE DISCRETION.
SINCE YOU WERE PAID MILEAGE ALLOWANCE AS SPECIFIED IN THE SLIDING SCALE ESTABLISHED BY THE FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION THERE IS NO AUTHORITY TO PAY YOU ANY ADDITIONAL AMOUNT. ACCORDINGLY, THE PREVIOUS ACTION OF DISALLOWING YOUR CLAIM TAKEN IN OUR SETTLEMENT OF JULY 9, 1968, IS SUSTAINED.