Was the Perkins Car Allowance Handled Properly?

Questions have come to light about a recent payment to Mayor Adrian Perkins for a car allowance. He was paid $5400 dollars last month to cover his allowance for all of 2019.

But city records show a car was assigned to him. City ordinances give the Mayor an option of taking the allowance or using a city owned car:

"The mayor shall receive an annual car allowance of $5,400.00, payable in equal monthly installments on his own warrant; provided, however, that in lieu thereof the city may furnish to the mayor a suitable automobile."

American Ground Radio's Louis Avallone raises questions about the car allowance paid to Mayor Perkins and says it should never have been paid in one lump sum.

We asked the Mayor's office for a response and here is what they sent us:

There wasn’t a car assigned exclusively to the Mayor. There was a car purchased in 2015 for then-Mayor Ollie Tyler, and members of the Executive Staff continued to utilize that vehicle for routine city business.