Louisiana to auction off more state vehicles, but fleet cuts short of 10 percent target

More Louisiana state vehicles up for auction

BATON ROUGE, La. — Even as Louisiana prepares to sell off more of its vehicles at a weekend auction, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration fell short of a December target to shrink the state-owned fleet by 10 percent.

Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis, the governor’s top fiscal adviser, set a goal of reducing state-owned vehicles by at least 10 percent by December’s end as a way to cut government spending amid years of projected budget shortfalls.

The number of cars, trucks, vans and other vehicles that Louisiana agencies had at their disposal stood at 12,740 in August, when Davis put a freeze on state agencies buying new vehicles — except for public safety vehicles, like police cars.

Departments have turned over 552 vehicles to state surplus so far for auction, not quite even the halfway mark, according to figures provided by the governor’s Division of Administration. But Davis said cabinet agencies have identified another 289 state vehicles that they have pledged to turn over to the surplus yard.

“I have been pleased by the initial response of our cabinet secretaries to this effort, but this just a first step,” Davis said in a statement. “Making significant reductions in the state’s fleet of vehicles, and achieving the corresponding cost savings for government, will require a sustained and determined effort throughout state government.”

The dilemma is while cabinet agencies are under the Jindal administration’s control, Davis can’t order public colleges or statewide elected officials to turn over 10 percent of their cars. Higher education and the agencies overseen by the elected officials control more than 3,300 vehicles.

The state’s commissioner of higher education, Sally Clausen, told presidents of the public college systems that she will be pushing for a reduction of 10 percent in the number of cars, trucks and vans on campuses — seeking 200 vehicles to be surrendered for sale, said Meg Casper, a spokeswoman for Clausen. No timeline was given.

Statewide elected officials, like the attorney general, secretary of state and agriculture and insurance commissioners were asked to voluntarily participate in the initiative. The Department of Insurance has agreed so far.

The state is putting up 250 vehicles for auction at a surplus sale on Saturday, following a similar sized auction in December that shed 274 vehicles and brought in $499,000, according to the Division of Administration.

Though the state holds a monthly vehicle auction, the Division of Administration said the surplus on sale this weekend is more than three times the usual average of cars, trucks, vans and other vehicles that are available.