Five practically new trucks have joined the fleet keeping Mount Vernon's streets clear today.

Mount Vernon officials say that last year's brutal winter took its toll on the city's snowplows. Mayor Ernie Davis says last year's ice and snow caused 95 percent of the city's trucks and equipment to break down.

During the past year, DPW workers retrofitted five trucks and plows with new hydraulics systems, electrical systems, and paint jobs.

Davis says the city saved quite a large sum by fixing rather than buying new vehicles. "The five trucks cost $80,000 to repair, saving the city more than a $1.5 million."