Local News Questions Amount of Money Toledo Spends to Maintain Police Vehicles
TOLEDO, OH – A local TV station, News 11, is asking if the city of Toledo wasting taxpayer money. It has conducted a several-month investigation into just how much the city spends on maintaining police vehicles.
TOLEDO, OH – A local TV station, News 11, is asking if the city of Toledo wasting taxpayer money. It has conducted a several-month investigation into just how much the city spends on maintaining police vehicles. News 11 examined the records of more than 350 police vehicles and found the city has spent more than $2.5 million dollars during the life of the cars in repair and maintenance costs alone, just for about one-fifth of the fleet.
According to News 11, a police van, vehicle number 91, is a 1997 Chevrolet G-20. It has close to 315,000 miles on it; it also has a number of dents, rust, and duct tape holding it together. The city has spent more than $61,500 to repair it, yet its resale value is only about $4,800.
A 2001 Ford Crown Victoria, vehicle number 156, has an odometer that shows 200,000 plus miles, with more than $51,500 in repairs. At most, it’s resale value is $6,900.
Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner told the citizens of Toledo everything is on the table for possible cuts this year to fix an $11 to $12 million dollar budget shortfall.
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