City cars to shrink in number

Here it comes: The Big Fleet Reduction press conference.

In prior weeks, Mayor Nutter has made it a practice at budget meetings to ask department heads how many vehicles they have and how many they could lose. This followed weeks of complaints from residents about the size of the city's fleet. "Why do city workers need cars?"

So tomorrow, the mayor responds.

At 11:30 a.m., he will stand in front of a parking lot on Richmond Street where 100 city vehicles have already been returned and are soon ready to be auctioned. He will announce how many total vehicles will be removed from the city fleet, thanks to the latest round of budget cutting.

Here's a preview of what's to come: At a briefing this afternoon attended by public safety officials, Police Commisisoner Charles Ramsey said he eliminated 51 take-home vehicles; Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers got rid of 10; and Prisons Commissioner Louis Giorla eliminated six.

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