Government Fleet Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

City of Mesa Saves $550K During CFMO Certification Process

MESA, AZ - The City of Mesa, Ariz., recently designated a Certified Fleet Management Operation (CFMO), saved $550,000 last year by developing a warranty recovery program.

by Staff
November 11, 2011
City of Mesa Saves $550K During CFMO Certification Process

(L-R) City of Mesa Mayor Scott Smith stands with Jim Wright, associate director of the Government Fleet Management Alliance (GFMA) and Peter  Scarafiotti, director & automotive engineer, Fleet Services Department, City of Mesa. Wright presented the crystal award to Fleet Services for attaining the CFMO certification.

2 min to read


(L-R) City of Mesa Mayor Scott Smith stands with Jim Wright, associate director of the Government Fleet Management Alliance (GFMA) and Peter  Scarafiotti, director & automotive engineer, Fleet Services Department, City of Mesa. Wright presented the crystal award to Fleet Services for attaining the CFMO certification.

MESA, AZ - The City of Mesa, Ariz., was recently designated a Certified Fleet Management Operation (CFMO), and the Fleet Services Department was recognized for this distinction during a City Council meeting on Nov. 7.

The CFMO certification, managed by the Government Fleet Management Alliance (GFMA), benchmarks fleet practices against private sector companies with which the public sector group competes most directly. The certification testing process addresses twenty categories and eight foundation categories to ensure fleet management success and aims to make a fleet operation cost effective, efficient, competitive, and well managed. The CFMO program was recently acknowledged by our Mesa City Council as a "Best in Class" program.

The certification process took the city two years to complete.  According to Peter Scarafiotti , MEng, CAFM, CEM, CPFP, director & automotive engineer, Fleet Services Department, City of Mesa, one of the things the division realized early on was it lacked an adequately developed emergency plan, a requirement for the certification.

Peter Scarafiotti, director & automotive engineer of the Fleet Services Department, said one of the areas he's most proud of is the quality of the fleet staff. Pictured are (l-r) Pat Mann, parts supervisor; Denise Ruther, equipment management system; Scarafiott; John Milhon, fleet maintenance superintendent; Jim Gould, fleet support administrator; Chris Jack, first shift foreman; and Herb Moore, budget analyst.

In addition, "this discipline led us to develop a warranty recovery program that provided $550,000 in savings last year. This saving allowed us to save two full-time positions that were scheduled to be dropped due to citywide downsizing due to decreases in city revenue," he added.

"We had already developed and implemented over 20 world-class benchmarks before certification, so we were on the right path. The CFMO program highlighted even more areas of opportunity for improvement," Scarafiotti stated.

The city's fleet is an ASE Blue Seal shop and is ranked No. 30 in the 100 Best Fleets program.

Peter Scarafiotti , director & automotive engineer of the City of Mesa's Fleet Services Department, addresses City council meeting attendees on Nov. 7.

Jim Wright addresses City Council meeting attendees during a Nov. 7 meeting. He was there to present the Fleet Services Department with the crystal award for fleet certification.

Related Articles:

Certification Success Helps Rochester Fleet 'Tell Its Story'

More Maintenance

SponsoredMarch 1, 2026

3 Ways Fleet Tech Builds Public Trust

Managing a state or local fleet comes with levels of accountability private companies don’t have. Read how modern fleet technology helps elevate visibility and safety to strengthen community trust.

Read More →
SponsoredMarch 1, 2026

Modernize Motor Pool Operations Without Increasing Cyber Risk

Still managing your motor pool with spreadsheets and manual approvals? Loyola University replaced outdated processes with automated fleet management, eliminating overtime and saving up to $50,000 annually. See how they did it.

Read More →
SponsoredFebruary 26, 2026

MOVING ON FROM DEBATE: A Guide for Fleet Managers Who Just Want To Get Electrification Done

Fleet managers are done with the debate—and focused on execution. Learn how to build a practical electrification strategy that aligns infrastructure, operations, and financing while keeping costs controlled and deployment scalable with support from Blink Charging. Discover how smart planning today positions fleets for long-term performance and ROI.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Faster and TransitCheck logos over a background of parked fleet vans, representing the integration of inspection and maintenance management systems.
Maintenanceby News/Media ReleaseFebruary 24, 2026

Announcing Integration With Faster Asset Solutions

Faster and TransitCheck integrate inspection and maintenance workflows to help fleets address defects faster and improve compliance tracking.

Read More →
tech-corner-diagnostics
Maintenanceby Mike ClearyFebruary 4, 2026

Tech Corner: Strategies for Diagnostic Success

It takes years to become a great diagnostic technician. Here's what separates the techs who guess from the techs who know.

Read More →
SponsoredJanuary 14, 2026

It’s here: The 2026 Fleet Technology Trends Report

What does AI mean for fleets? Get the answer — and learn other top tech trends.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A snow plow in the winter while it snows
MaintenanceDecember 19, 2025

Keeping Snow and Ice Removal Equipment at the Ready

The best time to prepare winter equipment is before you’ll need it. Here are pre-season tips to keep your equipment on the road and out of the shop.

Read More →
SponsoredDecember 11, 2025

Case Study: How the City of Sugar Land Digitized Its 550-Vehicle Fleet, Saving 100+ Labor Hours Weekly and $1.5M in Budget Gains

See how the City of Sugar Land modernized its 550-vehicle fleet, reclaimed 100+ labor hours weekly, and unlocked $1.5M in budget impact — all with FASTER Asset Solutions.

Read More →
Maintenanceby Staff WriterSeptember 15, 2025

7 Design Principles of Highly Effective Garages

Learn how to create a place where employees feel prepared to do their jobs safely.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Maintenanceby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 10, 2025

Amerit Acquires Derotic Emergency Equipment

The acquisition will be integrated with Vector Fleet Management, expanding its reach in the government, emergency, and specialty vehicle sector.

Read More →