CAYCE - The state needs to sell more than a third of its vehicle fleet and should get out of the business of buying and maintaining vehicles, Gov. Mark Sanford said Tuesday as he unveiled part of his state budget plan.

Sanford stood in a state parking lot full of cars, pickups and vans Tuesday as he called for selling 6,155 cars in the state's 15,052-vehicle fleet.

Those sales would generate $33.7 million, with $25 million used to offset rising costs of state employee health insurance, Sanford said. Moving to a system of leasing cars would generate about $8.5 million in annual savings, Sanford said.

"I believe there is a role for government and government ought to focus on things that only government can do," Sanford said. About half the 30 people who work with the state's fleet operations would lose their jobs under the governor's plan.

While South Carolina has more than 15,000 fleet cars, North Carolina, which is larger geographically and has twice the population, has 9,617. South Carolina has 38 state cars for every 10,000 citizens; Tennessee has 17; Alabama, 13; and North Carolina, 12.

"We seem to be out of the norm of where other states are," Sanford said.

The governor said his plans wouldn't affect the state-owned school bus system, law enforcement cruisers, Transportation Department vehicles or Corrections Department vans used to carry prisoners, Sanford said.

"I agree with him," said House Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston. "I think that's an excellent suggestion that he's made. I expect we'll try to incorporate that in our version of the budget, too."

Sanford is in the final weeks of putting together his first executive budget. That spending plan incorporates his government restructuring ideas as it tries to come up with savings to close a gap of more than $300 million between expected revenues and spending.

In this case, Sanford would restructure the state Budget and Control Board's fleet operations. What remained would help buy essential cars for some agencies, negotiate leases for others, do some maintenance and administer state gasoline purchase card programs, Sanford said.

Sanford also wants car maintenance operations consolidated. He said eliminating the Department of Mental Health maintenance shop would save $850,000.

State cars have been an issue for Sanford since he launched agency budget hearings this summer. A bicycle ride that took him through a Mental Health parking lot where he saw loads of idle state cars piqued his interest. "Just to see the number of cars that were sitting there, to me, was surprising," Sanford said.

State workers could also rent cars as needed, or be paid to use their own cars, Sanford said.