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The city of Houston has recently shared updates on the progress made by Mayor Sylvester Turner's administration in improving public services through the replacement of aging fleet vehicles. This initiative has notably benefited city departments such as the Houston Fire Department, Houston Public Works, Houston Solid Waste, and the Houston Police Department, all of which have experienced positive impacts from their respective fleet upgrades.
Since FY16, there has been an allocation of $530,858,000 to fleet replacement programs. This funding enabled the acquisition of 6,943 new fleet vehicles for a total cost of $383,352,671, replacing nearly 57% of the existing fleet. According to a press release by the city of Houston, key departmental allocations include $108,344,514 for the Houston Fire Department resulting in a 62% turnover and $136,969,349 for Houston Public Works leading to a 59% turnover.
Fleet Director Gary Glasscock stated that "recent changes to the City's vehicle procurement process are helping the City to adjust to the new vehicle market. The City is now able to act much quicker as manufacturers make vehicle availability announcements." He added that "Mayor Turner's administration has diligently provided for the City's fleet despite dealing with unprecedented market conditions for the automotive and heavy-equipment industries. Administration responses to the challenges have mitigated the impact of vehicle availability issues on providing City services."
Mayor Turner expressed his commitment towards employees and equipment saying: "From day one, I committed to upgrading and replacing fleet vehicles to allow municipal workers to safely do their jobs and serve the public effectively and on time. That is what we have done during my administration, and these investments will make a difference far into the future."
As per information from Mayor's Office webpage provided by the city of Houston: Mayor Sylvester Turner serves as Executive Officer managing laws enforcement in addition to appointing department heads and advisory board members with Council approval. In this role, he oversees the general administration and ensures compliance with laws and ordinances.