Which statement is true regarding use of city resources by a municipal official?

• A. A municipal judge may use a car furnished by the city for a vacation trip.
• B. A municipal judge may use a city telephone to make local personal telephone calls.
• C. A municipal court clerk may use court letterhead to write a cover letter for a job for which the clerk is applying.
• D. A public official includes a non-governmental employee.

Answer: (B)

City resources are provided for official government business, but policies often allow incidental personal use if it doesn’t cost the city or interfere with duties. Local, short personal calls on a city phone are a common example of this limited, permissible exception. They’re reasonable, typically inexpensive, and don’t hinder work.

Using a city car for a vacation trip crosses from acceptable incidental use into personal benefit, which is not allowed; it wastes public resources for nonofficial purposes. A court clerk using court letterhead to write a personal job application misuses official materials that should reflect government authority and professional duties, not personal advancement. Finally, a public official is someone who holds a government position; a non-governmental employee isn’t a public official.