Miami-Dade officials tried to go green, but it might have taxpayers singing the blues.
The county's inspector general is investigating the misuse of funds that were supposed to be used to fight environmental crime but instead bought head honchos hybrid rides, according to the Miami Herald.
And one of the six hybrids was even used by Mayor Carlos Alvarez, until it broke down.
"All I did was ask for a hybrid because I wanted a fuel-efficient car," Alvarez told the Herald, who claimed he drove the car for just a few weeks.
Nearly $300,000 was spent on the Chevy Tahoe SUVs, all bought with trust funds from the police's environmental trust fund. The fund is supported by private and government donations, as well as court-awarded fines.
The purchase was authorized in 2007, under the impression that they would be used to fight crimes in rural areas that other cars can't get to, responding to hurricanes, etc.
But now, four of the SUVs are still in the hands of top brass, instead of the field investigators. And Alvarez apparently got a lemon, because his is still in the shop after several breakdowns.
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His spokeswoman, Victora Mallette, said the mayor didn't know about the SUV.
"If the mayor finds out he was riding around in a car he was not supposed to be, someone will be disciplined," she said.
