Kurt Triplett, former chief of staff to King County Executive Ron Sims, has been serving as temporary interim county executive while the King County Council narrows down the nominees for interim county executive. (The council is deliberating at this very moment over whether that role should be filled by Triplett or former Seattle Mayor Charley Royer. Whoever is chosen will step down in November when the voters choose a permanent KC exec. Fun!) Anyway, despite his less than grand current title, Triplett has been availing himself of Sims's former car and driver, who pick him up and take him home every day (in addition to transporting him to and from official county business.) According to executive spokeswoman Carolyn Duncan, the car and driver are part of the standard protection afforded to every King County Executive, temporary interim, interim, permanent or otherwise. John Urquhart, media relations officer for the King County Sheriff's Department, says the car and driver are part of the department's executive protection division, which costs the county $225,000 annually before overtime. Urquhart says the county has received "credible threats" against county executives in the past.

Includes reporting by Stranger news intern Alexander Brown.