According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy told the City Council he may sell off management of the city's police cars, garbage trucks and the rest of its vehicle fleet as part of the "difficult choices" necessary to fill the $80 million hole in next year's budget. The city issued a request for proposals October 29 for the private takeover of its $7.2 million vehicle management department, with requirements that a private firm hire the 76 employees budgeted to work there, Murphy said. City residents and visitors may see a difference in city services if vehicles are managed by a private company, said Murphy, but that could be the type of sacrifice necessary to cut city costs. Paying an outside company to perform the service could save $3 million each year and take repairs of essential vehicles out of the city's hands. "When it's snowing and we don't have snow trucks out on the street because they're sitting in the maintenance shop undriveable, there's a huge impact," he said. The privatization of the city's fleet is in addition to plans to cut some $40 million in city spending next year, covering half of the estimated $80 million budget shortfall. Murphy will release his proposed budget on Nov. 10.