Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb yesterday urged City Council to reconsider lifting limits on mileage reimbursements for city employees, saying legislation tentatively passed Wednesday could boost costs.

"If people are using their vehicles, they should be fairly compensated for it," Mr. Lamb said. But council's $150-per-month limit on reimbursements for the use of their personal cars on city business "forces them to find the most economical way to travel," he said. If it were lifted in favor of reimbursements at the Internal Revenue Service rate of 50.5 cents per mile, costs "would go up, no question about it," he said.

Council's legislation would lift a patchwork quilt of reimbursement limits in favor of the IRS rate. Currently, building inspectors using their personal cars can get no more than $220 a month in reimbursements, and the lone controller's office employee who uses his personal car for much city business is capped at $100 a month.

Mr. Lamb said that his employee and the building inspectors submit detailed logs of where they drive. Council members who submit for the maximum reimbursement -- and most do -- typically don't submit detailed logs, he said.

The legislation would require that all city employees "document date, destination, purpose for the trip and miles driven" to get reimbursement -- a provision Mr. Lamb praised.

A final vote on the legislation could occur Tuesday.