January 19, 2009

Performance audits conducted by Chester County Controller Valentino F. DiGiorgio, R, contain recommendations for changes to the county’s management of publicly-owned vehicles that he says could generate savings.

Mr. DiGiorgio said the county could save money by increasing the number of vehicles in its fleet, thereby cutting down on the need to reimburse staffers when they drive their own cars to complete governmental tasks. He also proposes that the county do away with departmental fleets and consolidate all vehicles into one fleet to prevent vehicles sitting idle when another department could use them.

Chester County is furthermore likely to realize savings if it opts for more fuel-efficient (i.e. smaller) cars, the controller said. He has advised departments to delineate the routes their vehicles travel for county purposes and to take time to draw up routes that maximize time- and cost-efficiency.

Preliminary estimates on the possible savings from such changes amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Mr. DiGiorgio said he believes the county commissioners will be open to these proposals and that his relationship with them in the past has been constructive, in contrast to the adversarial relationship some county commissions have with controllers.

“The commissioners are always very supportive of efforts to increase efficiency,” he said. “They’re very open-minded.”