Press Release

San Diego, CA — Today, the County Board of Supervisors approved new measures from the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Sustainable Fiscal Planning to improve fleet efficiency, strengthen accountability, and reduce costs associated with its approximately 4,500 vehicles and equipment.

A Fiscal Year 2024–25 review identified 444 underutilized vehicles, but at the time, only 7% were returned, with the remainder approved to stay in service. The County has determined that roughly 104 retained vehicles show no significant need in County operations. This represents an estimated $5 million to $5.3 million in potential savings over five years through avoided vehicle replacement costs and reduced lifecycle maintenance expenses.

The approved actions will modernize how the County tracks and manages vehicle usage. GPS technology with tracking features and automatic fuel monitoring will be added to certain vehicles to give real-time, reliable data, replacing departmental self-reporting. The County will also move toward a more shared, countywide system to encourage vehicle sharing and reduce unnecessary purchases.

“When families are stretching every dollar, government has a responsibility to do the same. By modernizing fleet management and holding ourselves to higher accountability standards, we can cut unnecessary costs and redirect resources to the services people depend on,” said Chair Terra Lawson-Remer.

In addition, the Board approved updates to the existing vehicle retention policy to strengthen oversight. The revised policy requires cost analysis for retention justifications, mandates GPS installation for retained underutilized vehicles, and requires departments to turn in light-duty vehicles driven fewer than 5,000 miles annually or averaging less than one trip per day.

“These reforms reflect a commitment to ensuring taxpayer resources are responsibly used while maintaining critical services.  Savings throughout fleet management services is a small step, but an important one to reduce waste and better serve our communities,” said Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe.

The cost of expanding GPS installation is approximately $82,000 over five years and will be absorbed within existing budgets.

These actions are part of the County’s ongoing commitment to identify efficiencies and cost savings before considering any reductions to public services.