CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt announced Wednesday reductions to the state Department of Agriculture’s vehicle fleet.
The department currently has 150 vehicles. The plan is to reduce the fleet to 127 vehicles, a cut of 15 percent.
“Multiple audits have shown our state has issues when it comes to managing our vehicle fleet,” Leonhardt said in a statement. “My department will be doing its part to get this problem under control, immediately.”
Since January, the governor’s office, Division of Corrections, Division of Highways and Department of Environmental Protection have announced reductions totaling more than 200 vehicles.
“Other agencies are scouring their books to find savings and unnecessary waste,” Leonhardt said. “The WVDA will be doing the same as we look for ways to run the department more efficiently.”
The department estimates the total number of vehicles retired at $48,900, and has estimated a total cost savings of $21,000 a year.