Mayor McDaniel, please call your office

Gas guzzlers are tops with Orlando-area, regional officials

Orlando, Fla. - Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty champion environment-friendly initiatives, yet each drives a Ford Expedition sport utility vehicle that weighs more than 2.5 tons and burns a gallon of gas about every 15 miles.

They're not alone.

Gas-guzzling SUVs are the wheels of choice for two out of every three of Central Florida's highest-ranking public leaders who are provided a vehicle and a full tank at taxpayer expense, an analysis by the Orlando Sentinel found.These officials help decide their agencies' policies for vehicle purchases, and their personal preferences mirror a larger trend.

Despite pledges by a few to go green, area governments have stocked their fleets primarily with large trucks, SUVs and sedans that are among the least fuel-efficient vehicles on the road and among the worst polluters.

For more on this article, go to the Orlando Sentinel.