Illinois residents to purchase State police cruisers and other State vehicles at June 10 auction

SPRINGFIELD - The State of Illinois will auction 175 vehicles from its fleet including cars, pick-up trucks and police cruisers on Saturday, June 10, as part of the Department of Central Management Services' (CMS) ongoing effort to raise revenues by selling items no longer needed by state government.

The auction will take place at the State Surplus Property Warehouse, 1924 South 10 ½ Street in Springfield, with registration of bidders beginning at 7 a.m. and auction beginning at 9 a.m. Interested bidders can inspect the vehicles from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 8, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, June 9; ignition keys will be available.

"As a result of Gov. Blagojevich's investment to improve the safety of our roads, the Illinois State Police has begun to upgrade their fleet with hundreds of new police cars. Now, CMS is tasked with selling the older vehicles to generate a return for the state and Illinois residents can find older model and high-mileage vehicles often at rock bottom prices," said CMS Director Paul Campbell.

Vehicles being auctioned on June 10 include many police cruisers, as well as agency cars including mid-size cars, vans, minivans and station wagons. For more information and a list of specific vehicles, please contact 1-217-782-7786 or visit www.cms.illinois.gov.

In 2004, CMS began allowing winning bidders to pay for vehicles by credit card (MasterCard or Visa). Successful bidders may also pay with cashiers check, money order, traveler's checks, or even business or personal checks provided they are supported by a letter of credit from a financial institution (sample letter available at www.cms.illinois.gov). To register, bidders must provide valid driver's license or state identification card. All sales are final and as/is; there are no refunds or exchanges.

Three years ago when Gov. Blagojevich charged CMS to better manage the state's fleet, the agency eliminated nearly 1,600 underutilized vehicles and raised more than $1.1 million by selling them; in addition, the State avoided $5.3 million in fuel and maintenance costs for those cars and trucks. In 2005, CMS auctioned 373 surplus vehicles for a total of nearly $350,000, while overall since early 2003 the State has auctioned more than 2,100 unneeded vehicles and added more than $2 million to state revenues.

Through the past year, the surplus property program produced strong results by posting more than $1.1 million in sales. Additionally, the state has hosted ongoing auctions at www.ibid.illinois.gov that have generated more than $750,000 in sales since August of 2003.

A list of vehicles for sale is now available.

About Central Management Services (CMS)
In 2003, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich instructed CMS to streamline the state's operations, share resources and save taxpayer money while improving the business services of state government. By bringing private-sector discipline to its public-sector mission, the department leads the cost-effective administration of purchasing, property management, information technology, telecommunications, internal audit and outside legal services for the state's executive agencies, personnel and benefits for all state employees and retirees, and the state's employee and vendor diversity programs.

Deloitte Consulting validated that CMS achieved $529 million in savings through its efforts in FY04 and FY05 alone as the agency implemented new technologies, reduced waste and rethought many of the administrative operations of the state.