Harford County Overhauls Car-Fleet Policies

BALTIMORE, MD – Harford County will no longer hang on to a 10-year-old car with high mileage and higher maintenance bills.

It will also consolidate usage of its more than 1,000 vehicles among departments and trim as many vehicles from its fleet as practical. The new fleet management plan takes effect Jul. 1, with $11 million budgeted for the purchase of 202 new vehicles and to help county agencies make the transition from owners of vehicles and equipment to lessors, according to www.baltimoresun.com.

Fleet management gives ownership of the property — everything from cars and trucks to bulldozers and trailers — to the Department of Procurement. Bringing all vehicles under the purview of one department offers a centralized management and better utilization of the entire fleet, according to Deborah Henderson, county director of procurement.

Each county agency will then lease what it needs from the fleet through the procurement office.

Much of the county’s 1,047 vehicles are old and cost more than they are worth to maintain, so the management plan will allow for replacement of vehicles and various pieces of equipment this year with a five-year window for repayment of those purchases. The new policy should mean at least $1 million in additional revenues in the first year of sales of newer models.