INDIANAPOLIS (September 8, 2005) ? As Governor Mitch Daniels continues efforts to increase Indiana government efficiency, he personally auctioned the state?s 1,000th surplus vehicle today during a Department of Administration sale.

The governor also announced plans to reduce the number of aircraft in the state?s fleet. State government currently owns 20 aircraft, spread across three departments. The state plans to sell 5 or 6 aircraft during the next six months as part of a new aviation plan for the state. The long-term plan calls for reduction to 12, with some older aircraft being replaced, and to consolidate three aviation divisions into one, achieving further savings.

?We owe it to Hoosier taxpayers to look for every opportunity to save money,? said Daniels. ?State government does not need one vehicle for every three employees, or 20 aircraft. These vehicle auctions alone have returned more than $1.5 million to state government, but the greater savings are in operations and maintenance no longer necessary.?

During the auction of 89 vehicles, the governor auctioned a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer with 108,000 miles, previously used by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission for police investigations. It sold to Mark Ralph of Indianapolis for $7,100.

The state vehicle fleet exceeded 13,000 in October 2004. At the governor?s direction, state agencies have identified nearly 2,000 vehicles for disposal so far.

The Department of Administration is implementing a statewide fleet management system to better track vehicle usage. Annual cost savings of $3.5 million to $5 million are expected through more efficient use of the state?s smaller vehicle fleet.