A city of Pittsburgh public works vehicle is parked nightly on Salisbury Street in Arlington, across from the home of Streets Program Supervisor Jeff Koch, a former city councilman.

A city-owned 2002 Chevy pickup rests behind the Stanton Heights fire station, a block from the home of the construction supervisor to whom it's assigned. A 2007 pickup and a 1999 GMC Jimmy settle every evening in the Moore Park parking lot in Brookline, the home neighborhood of the public works supervisors who use them daily.

They're unofficial take-home cars, or take-almost-home cars, not included on the lists of vehicles City Council and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl have wrestled over for weeks. Their existence may complicate a move toward firm rules on the use of city cars, an issue that is the subject of a veto override vote set for today's council meeting.

Mr. Ravenstahl on Friday vetoed Councilman Ricky Burgess' legislation to halve the number of officials authorized to bring city cars home, and setting rules for distribution. The mayor said he would cut the number of such vehicles in half, to 29, releasing a list of 32 employees losing take-home-cars but arguing council can't write rules for the practice.

"Without codification, there is no guarantee that the policy will remain consistent," argued Mr. Burgess, who said he'll push for the six votes needed to override a veto. Presented with pictures of the unofficial take-home cars, he said he has been "aware that there may have been other vehicles," and said an ordinance "would have the residual effect of controlling possible abuses."

Mr. Koch's name does not appear on the list of employees granted a take-home car, nor on the list of people losing that privilege. He said that he's had the 1999 GMC Jimmy since January, when he was hired to rework the city's snow removal and street cleaning routes. He said he needed full-time access to a vehicle to "check all the routes, and take drivers out with me."

Public Works Director Guy Costa said Mr. Koch isn't supposed to have a take-home car, and will now lose it.

Mr. Costa said a few employees are allowed to take their cars to the parking lots of city facilities near their homes, so they can get to them quickly if called out at night, or begin their daily rounds to parks or facilities without first driving across town. "They're going to be evaluated," he said.

In his department, 16 people have official take-home vehicles, a number that will dip to four tomorrow, when employees stripped of the privilege must turn in their cars. Losing take-home vehicles are the six division chiefs, two assistant directors, and managers of forestry, construction, facility maintenance and the Redd-Up Campaign.

"A lot of these folks are called out in the middle of the night to respond," said Mr. Costa. Now they'll drive personal cars to department facilities, and then get into city trucks. "They're not going to be as effective as before."

Mr. Burgess said the number of people with take-home cars is less important than the existence of standards. His legislation would make employees who are called out 48 times a year eligible to bring cars home, matching a plank in the city's recovery plan.

It passed 5-3, with Councilman Dan Deasy abstaining. He's not likely to vote to override the veto. "I think the goal of the legislation is to reduce the take-home vehicles, and I think the mayor accomplished that," he said.