A Vote for the Manager, Motors Position is a Vote for Savings

Over the past two months, my administration has made the case for why it makes operational and financial sense to create the Manager, Motors position. Currently, the superintendent of the Department of Public Works, a police lieutenant, a fire lieutenant, and a supervising mechanic spend a significant amount of their time managing the City’s fleet of vehicles. This is time that can be better spent with the two lieutenants and the superintendent performing their regular functions. 

A police lieutenant currently spends 40% of his time on fleet maintenance, a fire lieutenant spends 35% of his time on fleet maintenance, and the superintendent of DPW spends 8% of his valuable time focusing on maintaining the City’s fleet of vehicles.

This is a situation that doesn’t make sense; it is one that can be easily remedied through the creation of a position that will pay for itself through the savings that will be realized through centralization and more effective management of resources to produce better results. The cost summary below should make it easy for the council to see the merit of the Manager, Motors position:

In addition to the above cost, the City continues to incur annual costs for vehicles that are no longer productive to the City’s day to day operations; i.e., insurance, vehicle registration, inadequate mechanical maintenance, to name just a few. Hence, clearly, it makes sense for the City to create the position of Manager, Motors so as to benefit from a more effective and efficient fleet operation, given the size alone of the City’s vehicle fleet. Moreover, by paying a Manager, Motors at the minimum salary of $70,887, a significant financial savings will be realized and police and fire lieutenants will be able to perform the duties of their respective positions, thus freeing up public safety personnel.

It is for all of the above reasons that I appeal to the governing body to support the creation of the Manager, Motors position, along with the companion ordinance that seeks to establish the salary range. A vote for these ordinances is a vote for better controls over the City’s fleet; it’s a vote for savings, greater efficiency and a more effective fleet operation.

Mayor Adrian O. Mapp