Mayor James J. Fiorentini > Press Release

For Immediate Release:

January 29, 2010

City Gains $65,000 from auction of used equipment

Mayor James J. Fiorentini today announced that as a result of the City’s second online auction of used equipment, the City has gained over $65,000 in revenue.  The Mayor indicated that this was several times more than the City would have obtained under the former non-online auction method.

About a year ago, the City instituted the practice, for the first time, of auctioning off property online. The City uses a private company known as “govdeals”.  The property is posted online and bidders from throughout the country and, indeed, throughout the world, are allowed to bid on surplus equipment.   The City has been recognized as an innovator in obtaining maximum value for surplus equipment. The City has been written up in the Wall Street Journal and noted on Boston television stations for use of online auctions to generate revenue.

The Mayor said that, based upon the results, the City would continue to auction its surplus materials online and the City would continue auctioning materials off by this method.

Mayor Fiorentini said that it was imperative in these times of fiscal crisis that the City continues to be innovative and use every tool available in order to hold down costs:

“Online auctions of surplus material are just one way of using every possible innovative method to hold down costs."

“At this time of continued fiscal crisis, we intend to tighten our belts, streamline government and be as innovative as possible so as to balance our books without asking our residential real estate tax payers to pay more.”