Citing a 27 percent rise in gasoline prices over the past two years, the Slidell city administration announced Friday that starting in June, some city employees will have to relinquish their take-home cars or else pay a monthly surcharge for the privilege.

“We have no choice,” Slidell Mayor Ben Morris said. “The city cannot afford to continue the current take-home vehicle policy.”

Morris said the surcharge would be $50 a month for employees living in St. Tammany Parish, and $100 a month if an employee lives outside the parish. Slidell Finance Director Sharon Howes said the city has exceeded its fiscal year 2008 budget for fuel. The city was budgeted $570,100 for fuel, and with the fiscal year ending in six weeks, the city has spent $572,184 on fueling city vehicles. Chief of Staff Bob Dunbar said the entire city fleet uses about 5,000 gallons of gasoline a week. He said the city’s gas consumption has remained level in recent years, but the increase in prices has put a serious dent in the city’s budget.

Currently, the average price of gasoline in the New Orleans metro area is $3.70 a gallon.

Slidell employs 335 people, including part-time workers. One-third are police officers, and many of them take their cruisers home to heighten police presence on the streets. Police Chief Freddie Drennan said to keep police presence high, officers will have to pay the surcharge.

He added that police who use their cars for paid details to supplement their income, will be charged an extra $1 per hour for the length of the detail.

Morris stressed the action applies to everyone, including himself and Drennan.

Morris said the administration will review the list of employees using take-home vehicles over the summer, and in September decide which 25 of the 46 “civilian” employees using take-home vehicles will have to give up their cars. He added an undetermined number of police will have to also give up their take-home cars.