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Clifton council directs staff to identify unused vehicles for return; motion set goal of 20 vehicles
Summary
Council members directed administration to have department heads identify and return unneeded lease and purchased vehicles, with an initial target of 20 vehicles; council recorded the motion as carried, 6–1.
The Clifton Municipal Council voted April 8 to direct department heads and city administration to identify underused vehicles for return, with a working target of 20 vehicles to be removed from the city's leased fleet.
The motion — put on the floor and seconded during the budget discussion — instructed department heads to catalog vehicles not in active use and forward recommendations to the acting city manager for action. Council members repeatedly referenced vehicle counts and leasing expenses during the meeting and offered preliminary savings estimates tied to reducing leases.
Speakers cited preliminary figures and internal reports while debating the motion. One council member estimated that returning 20 leased vehicles could save roughly $250,000 a year; another council member suggested that postponing purchases of new police vehicles might reduce costs by roughly $550,000 in a given year. "If we turned in 20 vehicles, that ... would be about $250,000 a year," a council member said during the discussion. Advocates said identifying unnecessary vehicles offered immediate, low‑contestation savings compared with service cuts or layoffs.
Council members expressed caution about forcing a specific number if department heads judged fewer vehicles could be returned without harming services; several motions and clarifying exchanges made clear the council wanted a staff-driven inventory and economic assessment, not an immediate forced removal without departmental review.
A roll-call was taken on the motion directing departments to identify vehicles and return those not needed; the mayor announced the result as "6 yes, 1 no. Motion carried." One council member voted against the motion, saying they supported removing unused vehicles but opposed forcing reductions in leasing that could affect revenue or operations.
Staff were directed to compile a department-by-department list of leased and owned vehicles, identify candidates for return, and present potential annual savings and operational impacts at the next budget meeting. Council members said they would monitor progress and reserves to avoid short-term service disruptions.
Ending: Administration will return to the council with a fleet inventory, an assessment of which vehicles can be returned, and projected savings; council asked for a timetable to complete the review promptly so any lease reductions can be reflected in the budget.
