Martinez Continues to Shrink State Government

SANTA FE – Yesterday, Governor Susana Martinez announced that the state’s air fleet will be further downsized, eventually leading to a reduction in the number of airplanes owned by the state from eight to three. The Governor’s announcement is a result of her administration examining aircraft usage during her first year in office – which declined greatly - and critically assessing usefulness and need.
When the Governor took office at the beginning of 2011, the General Services Department owned four airplanes, the Department of Public Safety owned three airplanes and a helicopter, and the Department of Game and Fish owned one airplane.
In August of last year, Governor Martinez sold a 2005 Cessna Citation Bravo, the state’s luxury jet, for $2.5 million. DPS sold a 1979 Cessna Skymaster in September and a 2007 Adam A500 in November. Both of the State Police aircraft were deemed too costly to repair and no longer effective in carrying out the department’s mission.

GSD will be selling two more airplanes in the months ahead – a grounded 1976 Beechcraft King Air and a 1983 Gulfstream Turbo Commander. “From day one, my administration has utilized state-owned aircraft quite sparingly,” said Governor Martinez. “We never needed a luxury jet, and clearly, there are other airplanes at GSD that need to be sold due to their ineffectiveness, high cost of repair or lack of use. It is important for us to take these steps to ensure the size of the state air fleet is in line with how the planes should reasonably be used.”

After the reduction in state airplanes, GSD will own a 2006 Beechcraft King Air for use under limited circumstances by public officials and to transport doctors to rural areas as part of the Children’s Medical Services program. DPS will own a Cessna 421 fixed-wing aircraft and an Agusta 109E helicopter. The Department of Game and Fish will continue to utilize its 2009 Vulcanair Observer. In addition, a memorandum of understanding will be drafted between DPS and GSD that allows each agency to utilize the other’s aircraft when it is not in use and available to be flown. “I am hopeful that these improvements to the state’s air fleet will provide us with greater flexibility in the utilization of state-owned aircraft,” said General Services Secretary Ed Burckle. “It will be a more efficient fleet and save taxpayer dollars.”

Potential savings can be difficult to accurately forecast because of variables such as aviation fuel costs and flight time, as well as potential expenses that can be associated with the sales process.

However, the Aviation Services Bureau’s budget has been reduced from $1.5 million to $1.1 million under Governor Martinez, with savings to taxpayers at the completion of the downsizing estimated at as much as $770,000 each year through the elimination of aircraft maintenance and operations costs and one-time savings of potentially $3.4 million to $3.6 million from aircraft sales.

Martinez Continues to Shrink State Government