NEW BEDFORD, MA - The City of New Bedford purchased 13 vehicles from the General Services Administration (GSA) New England Region at discounted prices through the Exchange/Sale Program that allows municipalities to purchase federal vehicles, according to a press release from the GSA. The transfer and a ceremonial "handing over of keys" took place on Sept. 2 at Manheim New England Auction House in Massachusetts.

The city purchased the 13 cars for a total sales price of $131,000; 2011 MSRP for similar cars would be in excess of $357,000. The average odometer reading for the vehicles was about 30,000 miles. "There's a lot of life left in these cars. We maintain our vehicles well, so we're always happy to be able to make good cars available to cities and towns when we can," GSA New England Regional Administrator Bob Zarnetske said.

According to Elizabeth Treadup from the Mayor's Office at New Bedford, the vehicles will be used by several City department including inspectional services, health, and assessors.

"We greatly appreciate the federal government, through Bob Zarnetske, GSA Regional Administrator, providing New Bedford city government with this important opportunity to save taxpayer dollars. These vehicles will replace 1992 models in New Bedford's fleet with over 100,000 miles. The old vehicles are consistently in the city shop and under repair; therefore, their replacement will also save time and the cost of parts," New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang stated in the release.

"Especially in these difficult times, we all need to look for ways to work together and save taxpayer dollars," Zarnetske added. "The Exchange/Sale program allows our Fleet to offer eligible organizations quality federally-owned vehicles through the Fixed Price Sales Program guaranteeing that taxpayers get the full benefit of these vehicles."