Mayor Galime announces new addition to DPW snow plow fleet through major cost cutting measure
Utica, NY: For years the DPW fleet has been dealing with not having enough equipment to keep up with maintaining the city. New plow/dump trucks typically take three years to arrive and are around $200,000 to acquire. When much of our fleet is model year 1987, it’s clear we’ve ignored basic needs. While we are currently still waiting for a plow purchased in 2023, Mayor Galime launched efforts to purchase pre-owned vehicles to decrease the age of our fleet, while spending one eighth the cost, saving hundreds of thousands. “If we did this a decade ago, we could have reduced reliance on debt, and had a maintainable fleet with spares in time of need,” stated the Mayor.
As of this week, we’ve acquired a 2011 International Work Star 7500 Dump Truck equipped with plows and a salter, significantly strengthening the Department of Public Works’ snow-removal capabilities ahead of the winter season.
This acquisition was made possible through a coordinated effort between the Budget Director, the Department of Public Works, and the Comptroller’s Office, who worked together to ensure the City could participate in the bidding process. On the evening of Friday, November 14, 2025, the City successfully secured the vehicle for $24,860.00.
November 10th, DPW Commissioner Mark Sokolowski found an opportunity to bid on the vehicle through Auctions International. Following extensive evaluation led by DPW mechanic Sean Kennedy, the vehicle was determined to be in excellent condition and a valuable addition to the city’s fleet.
The vehicle was retrieved and transported to the DPW garage for preparation and integration into the fleet this past Monday, November 24, 2025.
“For a fraction of the cost of new, we have increased the dependability of our fleet,” said Mayor Galime, continuing with, “given the current industry-wide delays—with new plows taking up to three years to obtain and costing more than $200,000 this acquisition represents major cost savings, while solving the immediate need of not having enough plows.”
The vehicle is getting badged with the Utica seal and will be ready to ensure safe travel for residents throughout the snowy months.
Mayor Galime concluded stating that this achievement demonstrates what we can accomplish when departments work collaboratively toward a shared goal. We hope to repeat these efforts.
