Local government entities impacted by spike in gas prices

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) —  Local government entities are feeling the pinch from the increase at the pumps, and are now implementing changes to conserve fuel.

The City of Wilmington has more than 600 vehicles in its fleet, including police patrol cars, fire trucks, and  sanitation trucks. The city spends around $96,000 in fuel each month.

As the city prepares to buy its monthly fuel supply on Thursday, it anticipates a significant price increase, and is asking employees to conserve gas.

“We’re not allowing idling, or we’re trying to go hybrid first if we can, trying to encourage carpooling where we can. So, we have implemented some fuel saving measures as we see gas prices rise. It’s something that we’ll continue to monitor and look at,” said Jennifer Dandron, City of Wilmington spokesperson.

New Hanover County Government uses fuel fleet card service. A spokesman for the county says it has not gotten a bill since gas prices skyrocketed, so it is unclear how the price jump will impact the county’s fuel costs at this time.