State sells off planes

On Feb. 11, 2011, Gov. Rick Scott authorized the sale of two state airplanes to out-of-state buyers.

Scott "directed the Department of Management Services to accept two bids that were revealed earlier this week," according to a Scott press release. "This sale of two state-owned airplanes will net the state of Florida more than $560,000 in savings this fiscal year, and it will eliminate the annual operating and leasing costs of $2.4 million per year.

"Burdening taxpayers with these ongoing expenses is irresponsible and not a core function for government to meet the state's critical needs," Scott said in the release.

The planes are a 2000 King Air 350 and a 2003 Cessna Citation Bravo. The St. Petersburg Times described the buyers on Feb. 12: A Mexican-American oil-field services firm, Transportes Internacionales Tamaulipecos, bid $1.9 million for the Cessna jet, and the nine-passenger King Air prop plane brought a bid of $1.77 million from JNC Aircraft Sales of Washington, D.C.

The Scott-O-Meter had written on Jan. 7 about Scott's first step toward this promise when his office listed the two planes for sale during his first week as governor. Scott has said he will use his own private airplane and suggested other state officials drive or fly commercially.

Our earlier promise update noted that the state does not own the nicer aircraft, the 2003 Cessna Citation jet acquired by former Gov. Jeb Bush. It is being leased, and the payoff amount is $3.4 million, so the state would have to sell the jet for more than that to turn a profit.

DMS spokesman Kris Purcell broke down the savings for us in an e-mail on Feb. 14:

"Sale brings in $3.665M. That pays off lease of $3.4M, leaving $263k surplus. After all fees are covered (10% of sale, $366k) and cost savings (salaries, maintenance, lease payments for rest of fiscal year, $659k) are combined with $263k, approx. $556k will be remaining and returned to General Revenue. For each fiscal year beginning with new one July 1, the State saves additional $2.4M annually (salaries, maintenance, lease payments, etc.)"

The sale eliminated 11 full-time jobs of pilots and support personnel, according to the St. Petersburg Times article.

Purcell said in an interview that both bidders were expected to wire the money on Feb. 14.

"JNS is set to take possession of the King Air tomorrow," Purcell wrote in an e-mail. "Transportes Internacionales has not set a date for handover."

Later in the day he e-mailed: "The wire transfer with JNS has been completed and just awaiting confirmation on the Cessna wire transfer."

In January, it was unclear whether Scott needed approval of the Cabinet or Legislature to sell the planes. Purcell said it was determined it was under the governor's discretion.

Purcell added: "That decision came from the governor's general counsel," according to DMS' general counsel and DMS' budget director. "Also, we were required to notify the Legislature and DFS (Department of Financial Services)," and that notification was expected to be completed Feb. 15.

Scott promised to sell the state airplanes and in his second month in office, he authorized the sale. The money was wired and the sale completed on Feb. 14. We rate this one a Promise Kept.

UPDATE: When this item was posted Feb. 14, 2011, we quoted DMS' Purcell as saying that notification of the sale to the Department of Financial Services had been done. On Feb. 15, Purcell said the notification to DFS would be completed that day.