SACRAMENTO – The State of California’s Department of General Services (DGS) is shutting down four of its fleet facilities, which includes facilities in Fresno, Los Angeles, and Oakland, and its fleet office in San Diego according to a news release from DGS. DGS also plans to eliminate preventive maintenance in its Sacramento garage within one year. The department added that it plans to transfer many of the associated fleet administrative functions to its offices in Sacramento. DGS estimates it will save $2M annually through these closures.

“We cannot continue the status quo with our state fleet operations by maintaining non-essential facilities," said DGS Director Fred Klass. “Although the employees who work in at these garages do a fine job, the data shows us that the garages are no longer cost beneficial for taxpayers in supporting state government. The State garage in Sacramento, near most State employees, makes sense—but brick and mortar locations elsewhere have become too costly.”

DGS said State employees outside Sacramento can rent vehicles from private rental car companies and have State vehicles repaired at private sector facilities.

DGS said the State of California will give fleet maintenance employees at these facilities priority eligibility for other State positions that they can qualify for and can voluntarily move to a vacant position within DGS. The department said these employees will also have a hiring preference for other State jobs during the next five years.

Earlier this year California’s Governor Jerry Brown announced a plan to cut the size of the State’s fleet in half. This reduction in DGS’ fleet facilities is part of the process of complying with the governor’s executive order.

On Wednesday, the governor and other State legislators were working to close the remaining $9.6 billion gap in the State budget, of which the cut in fleet services is a small percentage.