Unprecedented Partnership Saves Taxpayer Money
Citizens rely on public vehicles like ambulances, school buses, police cars, and even snowplows. To keep them in good repair, Harford County government built a new fleet maintenance facility to be shared with Harford County Public Schools. The unprecedented joint-use facility will service both agencies’ vehicles, improve efficiency, and save taxpayers’ money.
The Harford County Fleet Maintenance facility officially opened with a ribbon-cutting Friday and replaces two dilapidated maintenance buildings – one owned by county government and the other by the school system. Instead of having taxpayers foot the bill to replace both, County government proposed the new joint-use facility and school officials agreed.
Inside Harford’s state-of-the-art facility, work crews handle everything from routine upkeep to major repairs on the combined fleet of 1,700 vehicles, including county-owned ambulances, sheriff’s patrol cars, dump trucks and school buses. Work areas for the different types of vehicles are in separate color-coded wings, while both agencies share modern systems for parts management and inventory control, and rooms for bulk fluid distribution and air compression. Training and break rooms are also shared.
“Taxpayers expect us to avoid duplication and save money when we can,” County Executive Barry Glassman said. “Harford’s new fleet maintenance building is a great example of government agencies being more efficient and working together to keep our essential vehicles on the road.”
