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The Cleveland Mayor is in hot water after using $40,000 of taxpayer money to repair an SUV. Things only get fishier from here. A police inceptor was carrying the Mayor at the time of the wreck and seems at fault. 

Cleveland Mayor spends $40,000 of taxpayer money to repair SUV 

The Fox 8 I-Team discovered that the Cleveland Mayor used $40,000 of taxpayer money to fix an SUV after a wreck. I have a feeling that some folks won’t care that their money went to a police inceptor looking brand new. 

Taxpayer funds covered $17,525.70 for labor, $22,495.04 for parts, and $176.89 for towing. The total bill came to$40,196.62. 

Police officers shared that the SUV was involved in an accident back in June. The Mayor’s driver put on the emergency lights, ran a stop light, and hit another driver. 

I’m no political expert, but what type of emergency needs a Mayor to dangerously fly through town? Was City Hall on fire? 

Ford Explorer police inceptor on the pavement
Ford Explorer police inceptor | Ford

Emergency lights are intended for emergency vehicles to alert other drivers to their presence in critical situations. Misuse of these lights can cause accidents, hinder emergency response officers, and is considered to be a traffic violation. 

Anyways, the Mayor’s office shared that the city is self-insured. So why was the $40,000 repair bill covered with tax money? The city also covered $3,900 to settle the value of the other vehicle. 

Also, the other driver remembers going through the green light when suddenly a black SUV came flying at him. The city purchased the police SUV in 2022 for over $56,000 so the repair bill seems extremely excessive. 

Reportedly, the city shared that the internal and external repairs such as replacing the axle were labor-intensive. An investigation into the Mayor’s driver is ongoing. 

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Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.