Las Vegas NowI-Team: The High Cost of County Auto Repairs

I-Team: The High Cost of County Auto Repairs

Clark County department heads don't quibble over the costs of servicing employee vehicles when there’s enough money to go around. But when budget reviews include double-digit cuts, some question why automotive overhead fees avoid the ax while some essential services do not.

Clark County Automotive Services Manager Dave Johnson may not have grease under his fingernails but he can navigate the nuances of Fleet Services Administration like his mechanics traverse a transmission.

"We try to give our technicians everything possible to do what they need to do to make sure this fleet stays safe," said Johnson. He and his team maintain some 3,000 county vehicles at a cost of nearly $600 a year per car. That cost takes place before a technician ever picks up a wrench.

"We try to make sure our rates are as low as possible and I’m also still covering all of my costs. I am a self-funded enterprise. I am required to make sure my division pays for itself," Johnson said.

"It should not cost anywhere near $600 a year," said Carole Villardo with Nevada Taxpayers Association. Villardo serves on the state’s government efficiency commission and as the president of the Nevada Taxpayers Association.

"Automotive services has been one of the things we've looked at as an association for years, because it fits the yellow pages test. If it's in the yellow pages, why should government be doing it?" Villardo questions whether the county’s repair shop, with some 40 full-time employees, can compete with prices posted by local mechanics and dealerships?

Johnson doesn't hesitate to answer that he can. "In my opinion, our rates are highly competitive," he said. To test Johnson’s claim, the I-Team asked three local dealerships and one local repair shop to price the county’s version of a preventive maintenance inspection or a PMI. It's a 53-point bumper to bumper review that includes an oil change, a brake inspection and a tire rotation. It's required twice a year for all county vehicles.

"I need to ensure everything I have on the road out there is in safe and serviceable condition," Johnson said. For a PMI on a 1999 Honda Civic sedan, the county charged the public defender’s office $156.00.  That's $20 higher than the price at Art’s Auto and $13 more than the charge at Findlay Honda. The PMI on a 2001 Dodge pick-up cost county fire prevention $143. That is $30 dollars less than the price at Art’s Auto but $50 more than the charge at Chapman Dodge. The county billed the building department $79 for a PMI on a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid which is $56 less than the price at Art’s Auto but $20 more than the cost at Ford Country.

In three out of three cars, the dealership offered a better deal. Plus, the dealers don’t charge that $600 a year county overhead fee.

"I strongly feel that we give our customers value for their dollar. I’m cheaper than any dealership in Las Vegas, by at least 30 percent minimum, sometimes even 50 percent. Our hourly rate is cheaper," Johnson said.

Yet the disparity in price -- suggests to Villardo -- the county should take another look under the proverbial automotive services hood.

"It sounds like a broken record, but I believe in the yellow pages test. If you can find it in the yellow pages, then do it that way," Villardo said.

There are many different ways to analyze whether the county really is getting the best bang for its buck. 8 News Now is not claiming that our test is the only way to do it. But, it may be worth a second look given the amount of money that moves through that division. In July alone, automotive services charged county agencies more than $1 million. For example, a car wash that would cost $12 on the street costs $59 when you factor in that monthly county overhead fee.