[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6555788,"mediaKeyId","3346648-8f8025d283821fde43a91e80c58ae5df","parentId",3346648,"title","Houston fleet proposes $109.9 million operating budget, aims for $7.6 million in savings after 44 retirements","audioSeconds",579,"startMs",45000,"endMs",624000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346648-8f8025d283821fde43a91e80c58ae5df&start=45&end=624","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346648-8f8025d283821fde43a91e80c58ae5df/thumbnail_45000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6555788/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Houston-fleet-proposes-1099-million-operating-budget-aims-for-76-million-in-savings-after-44-retirements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6555788-c522a39abd103aa4647b82b9b4a8f686/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142283&Signature=aRY-oTEFcSdqxB~k27DfqeKtZJmT8i1~DaBclz8lb-NwVTDNaRycTUoxR2nhQba7JXoY-QRl4kufPfMhUc~qbDvtWrfmZKZtdaWuqtBXi4wwkNGjwS7m7rEUkjf1KIIdIx7qCutBma7UayIq34XwgPZyzDzN22b3XF7nbVdtEGD3jR9yh3HqGlWkWhaIoRxxSMUbtue0mNcQg8kPUzroE746xI3LJGlbYNcb1fXW7w6YJpC8YaXq-f21sFsgsnFkyurKnDwKwNZtYlY03lkKe5X6fIcCzPr8CDOSBSYaZ0OgJAGitKPlX5AlSuSEuLXUH-ttPmQlxw7R9PiojWOaMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Houston","date","2025-05-16T00:00:00Z","article","Fleet Director Gary Glasscock presented the Fleet Management Department’s proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget to the Houston City Council Budget Committee on May 16, saying the department estimates roughly $109.9 million in operating expenses and is pursuing $7.6 million in cost reductions.

Glasscock said the $7.6 million in savings includes about $3.4 million from labor reductions after 44 fleet employees accepted a voluntary retirement offer. He said 22 of those who left were mechanics and that the department had about a 15% mechanic vacancy rate before the retirements, increasing the shortage.

The budget presentation said the department expects labor to account for 31% of spending and the remaining 69% for services and supplies. Major nonpersonnel line items include about $28 million for fuel, $26 million for parts and tires, and $12 million for outside repair services. Glasscock said fleet revenues are billed to client departments and are set to equal expenses; general fund departments provide an estimated 75% of fleet revenue, enterprise funds (primarily public works and the airport system) provide 22%, and grants and special revenue funds make up the remaining 3%.

Glasscock outlined program-level changes intended to close the budget gap, including merging programs, reclassifying positions and increasing spans of control. He said the department is restructuring so that its business support group will have five layers of management and its operations group—about 80% of the department—will have four layers. He described plans to merge the human capital program into business support to reduce overhead and said the department expects to contract roughly 20% of repair work by expense in FY26 to compensate for reduced in‑house capacity.

\"We plan to mitigate the issue by sending more work to vendors as we work to fill vacancies,\" Glasscock said.

Committee members asked about the voluntary retirement and hiring plans. Committee Chair (unnamed) and Council Member Ramirez pressed for details on how many positions the department plans to refill. Glasscock said the retirement offer and prior vacancies combined created roughly 34 open mechanic positions (22 retirees plus 12 preexisting vacancies), and he said the plan is to recruit to fill those openings.

Glasscock also discussed the department’s current fleet size and scope. He said Fleet Management services more than 13,300 vehicles and equipment units across the city and operates 67 fuel stations and the city fuel card program. He said fleet operations, fuel management and outside services account for approximately 88% of the department’s total budget.

Glasscock closed by saying the FY26 estimate is about $1.9 million less than the current-year estimate and that the budget provides for the labor, supplies, services and fuel needed to operate the city fleet. He said department staff will continue recruiting and testing applicants for mechanic positions.

Committee members did not take a formal vote during the workshop; the presentation concluded with a question-and-answer period and no Council action recorded at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Houston - FY 2026 Budget Workshop: Fleet Management - May 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Fleet Director Gary Glasscock presented the Fleet Management Department’s proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget to the Houston City Council Budget Committee on May 16, saying the department estimates roughly $109.9 million in operating expenses and is pursuing $7.6 million in cost reductions.","taxTitle","Houston, Harris County, Texas","taxId",2797,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6555774,"Houston fleet to install telematics; take-home vehicle policy remains 30-mile radius under AP 2-2",167,1538000,1705000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346648-8f8025d283821fde43a91e80c58ae5df&start=1538&end=1705","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346648-8f8025d283821fde43a91e80c58ae5df/thumbnail_1538000.jpg","/articles/6555774/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Houston-fleet-to-install-telematics-take-home-vehicle-policy-remains-30-mile-radius-under-AP-2-2","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6555774-55a3c764ccfee5ce2e7d038bd0deaef3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142283&Signature=EhBdLnFigYvKF9GV-cmc70M0cngphlkfaCKrjpGPEnSlD1Tv5lgM6FWXpKvkmzK6qV4pV33u76XgDQcD-b1-dLg9FxUMzV7ntuOQRT-GzikVPoFQMsKdGwWXZUxh9imfk-YPX868iEwwIUtVyQvToLKrTxwZHjKZ1mydUdwAd1rGcQtH3WMbB8nl6~JEDXFWI0pZ7SQV~d5arWR7UwWZr0yNFjOJ-q1ZKh-CK-ROL8XiN0G3NTXnUZG8WjnwiUb66gpexPWRGQsM6L1cPtwgI3SmIQXsD10Q0RvQbSCecla5Ab65efvuc4hNjrOwWMomzKLlF9q4ZZHhucz24Wcapw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members asked how the city tracks use of assigned (take‑home) vehicles and whether commuting beyond city limits is monitored. Fleet Director Gary Glasscock said the current administrative policy (AP 2‑2) requires take‑home drivers to live within a 30‑mile radius unless they obtain special approval from their department director and the mayor’s office.

Glasscock said current mileage reporting for work and nonwork miles is self‑reported annually by drivers to department heads and that the city assesses an annual \"take home\" charge to employees who operate take‑home vehicles. He said that charge is updated annually and is based on capital cost, fuel and maintenance costs for the vehicle.

The director told the committee the department is rolling out a Samsara GPS telematics system and that once units are installed across the fleet, staff will be able to measure actual vehicle locations, create geofences and receive exception reports when vehicles leave allowed areas. He said telematics will improve the department’s ability to report exact usage and respond to questions about commute distances and off‑duty operation.

\"Once we get these telematics units in the entire fleet, we'll be able to tell exactly where each vehicle is being operated,\" Glasscock said. \"We can also set up... fenced areas to where if a vehicle goes out of an allowed fenced area, we'll start receiving exception reports.\"

Glasscock said some data currently used for billing and the take‑home charge is obtained via self-reporting, and that the telematics rollout should reduce reliance on manual reporting. Committee members asked staff to return with more precise usage numbers after telematics units are deployed; Glasscock said he could work with departments to extract current self‑reported data but that exact figures are not centrally reported today.

No council action was taken during the workshop; follow-up reporting on telematics implementation and vehicle‑use data was discussed.","Fleet management officials told the Budget Committee they are installing a Samsara telematics system to capture vehicle locations and usage; the city’s current take‑home vehicle policy (AP 2‑2) limits take‑home vehicles to a 30‑mile radius unless approved by the department director and mayor’s office.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6555778,"Houston fleet has 78 battery EVs, 772 hybrids; charging, recalls and supply chain slow 2030 EV target",51,1131000,1182000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346648-8f8025d283821fde43a91e80c58ae5df&start=1131&end=1182","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346648-8f8025d283821fde43a91e80c58ae5df/thumbnail_1131000.jpg","/articles/6555778/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Houston-fleet-has-78-battery-EVs-772-hybrids-charging-recalls-and-supply-chain-slow-2030-EV-target","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6555778-df1d95704a75356925af32ed51c90cdf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142283&Signature=B5AyxvelFxd-zCw4CezF8Mr2jHDROj2aYcHx-HZmUGQPNdWZAU7sgvJUgD9UxqPjm53CQO-uyQfL-~bRHCV5WwST5HBGF0QKge1ekX782rNtJc3-Mo7XH86duH3HL8p3j8ibBX~heZ0oqKnJ9mMGsZMQ0ua2agIgJckwmRiKpUbaDnN-1WkL~BR5jKHcoDa6gXBQVzrFjINEeWrxWZO10Belv7X0hjoXebDbiI0gVNrXzVcmk56LmfaCh75wmLTg5MWhur-uxhNhb1F0UstWI-WfQCfzuvg919pOeC7CBZDBIdpkdLZZPFvW50Q5JRlatDrfjT6tssMvDqBCNZ1Fnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kate, a staff member for Council Member Kamin, asked for an update on progress toward the city’s Climate Action Plan goal to convert nonemergency light-duty municipal vehicles to all-electric by 2030. Fleet Director Gary Glasscock said the city currently has 78 battery-electric vehicles and 772 hybrid vehicles.

Glasscock said the Climate Action Plan timeline and subsequent disruptions slowed deployment. He cited COVID-era supply-chain delays, limited manufacturer battery-electric offerings and several recalls affecting battery-electric models as constraints.

\"We ran into all the supply chain issues and didn't get vehicles for quite a while,\" Glasscock said. \"And then the vehicle manufacturers kind of, limited their battery electric offerings, and so we've dealt with that. And then we've gone through all the recalls on the battery electric vehicles as well, which has presented, somewhat of a roadblock.\"

He said the city generally restricts battery-electric vehicles to administrative uses because charging infrastructure and operational needs during disaster response can limit the vehicles' effectiveness. Glasscock noted that hybrids and electric vehicles have been useful during recent disaster responses where fuel access was a concern.

The director said staff evaluate vehicle purchases using total-cost-of-ownership models that consider purchase price, fuel savings and residual value, and that capital funding constraints often prioritize replacement vehicles for emergency response and solid waste departments.

Committee members raised questions about model selection and procurement constraints. Glasscock said the department has purchased hybrids and some Toyotas (Camrys and RAV4 hybrids) in the past year and that cost, application needs and residual value factor into purchase decisions.

No council action occurred during the workshop; council members suggested follow-up reporting on EV adoption and infrastructure needs as part of ongoing budget deliberations.","Fleet officials told a council workshop Houston currently has 78 battery-electric vehicles and 772 hybrids for municipal use; supply-chain issues, limited manufacturer offerings and recalls have slowed progress toward the Climate Action Plan goal to convert nonemergency light-duty municipal vehicles to electric by 2030.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6555783,"Houston accelerates police vehicle procurement after Ford shortens order window",111,1286000,1397000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346648-8f8025d283821fde43a91e80c58ae5df&start=1286&end=1397","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346648-8f8025d283821fde43a91e80c58ae5df/thumbnail_1286000.jpg","/articles/6555783/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Houston-accelerates-police-vehicle-procurement-after-Ford-shortens-order-window","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6555783-e6b6b31b2fb0fde859803f3da27b792a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142283&Signature=cD7CzD6goWHAtOrTOjpMjNjX7ScZJZb8-Hnq6FUdOtgBdirfeaNWz2SMP7qn~RtMxTOYO9~vGfgtMNXQ8LirRtKuqh5QpIesP1L7retBTXaPGhQTnHS~ez8qx1V~DeJTwPPdUMwMjK~Vqsp2nGpbEkCW1rjKIM1PxFcqx3zxVZnTT6-QsAes0QWOKnvCEV3Z05CeiYxZ22MVe2j1Lneg0kAO8HcyreUS1b6hvLnMIP5PloVM~RMNo13x9BJVtyjLoPl6~0J3QCFkdCYpb6qvLpvi5TvzI0QlIHtM3nawUppSXok2pMk5Mn3Kyq53l8xjstDDxAv7kkzXIFvgtXPI9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members pressed Fleet Director Gary Glasscock on a reported shortage of police patrol vehicles during the May 16 Houston City Council Budget Committee workshop.

Glasscock said manufacturers limited allocations to public agencies following COVID-era supply disruptions and that Houston had been constrained to about 80 patrol car allocations in recent years. He described efforts to obtain additional allotments from Ford and said the department negotiated with other municipalities to secure unused allotments.

\"We managed to negotiate with Ford and work to pick up allotments that were not being used by other municipalities,\" Glasscock said. He told the committee that vehicle deliveries have been delayed in recent years and that the department typically loses roughly 100 patrol vehicles per year—mostly to accidents—which creates an ongoing replacement need.

Glasscock said Ford informed the city on the morning of the workshop that it was closing the order period for patrol cars earlier than expected. He said staff had pulled funding from FY26 to place an earlier order for model‑year 2025 patrol cars to secure earlier delivery at a lower cost, and that procurement staff (\"Jed and Marta,\" as Glasscock named them) were preparing an agenda item to seek council approval at the next meeting so the city could meet Ford’s deadline.

Council Member Ramirez asked how many patrol cars the city \"goes through\" in a normal year and whether manufacturer production would increase in coming years. Glasscock said the allotments are improving and that \"things are actually getting a little better for us,\" but he did not commit to specific future production schedules.

The committee did not take a formal vote at the workshop. Glasscock said staff were pursuing multiple options to increase the size of the patrol fleet and would present procurement actions to council as needed.","Officials told the Budget Committee they are pulling forward funds and preparing a procurement item to order model-year 2025 patrol cars after Ford closed its order period early; the city has faced limited allocations the past two years.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Houston fleet proposes $109.9 million operating budget, aims for $7.6 million in savings after 44 retirements

Houston fleet to install telematics; take-home vehicle policy remains 30-mile radius under AP 2-2

Houston fleet has 78 battery EVs, 772 hybrids; charging, recalls and supply chain slow 2030 EV target

Houston accelerates police vehicle procurement after Ford shortens order window