If you want to buy a used police car, you can check out a few at one of the periodic auto auctions municipalities like Pittsburgh hold, or you can go to a Web site like the one run by GovDeals Inc. and bid on any of 400-plus offerings without leaving your couch.

Pittsburgh Councilman William Peduto wants the city to switch from the auction system, which was tainted by criminal charges in December, to the online version used by thousands of municipalities and some states. He's introducing legislation today that would urge Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's administration to seek proposals from companies that offer online auction systems tailored to municipal needs.

"We have a process that we have had for decades," Mr. Peduto said yesterday. "It's one that the public really doesn't know much about. There are a few people that bid.

"It has been such an insider's game for so long that it only makes sense to open the process up. What we've seen in the past year shows that there's a need for a more transparent system."

Police charged six people, including former City Controller's Office employee Michael Livingstone, for participating in a scheme to get city vehicles at a cheap price. The involved buyers would bid high, but had arranged to pay less, according to criminal complaints. Charges are still pending.

The GovDeals system puts the used cars, trucks, guns, furniture, playground equipment and much more from nearly 2,700 clients on the Web for anyone to see and buy.

"We're pretty much like eBay, except that we only work for government agencies," said Terry Bazzoon, GovDeals' director of marketing. He estimated the online program gets bids that are 20 to 40 percent higher than live auctions.

The company also takes 7.5 percent of proceeds. GovDeals competes with several other firms, and Mr. Peduto said a competitive bid process would ensure the city gets a good deal.

Mr. Bazzoon said his firm has helped cities find marketable items they might never have thought of selling. Confiscated jewelry, used cranes, and even a water tower -- sold for scrap for $414 -- are just a few examples from eight years of auctions.

Even if council passes Mr. Peduto's resolution, the administration doesn't have to pursue online auctions. But Mr. Peduto said the coming struggle to balance the 2010 budget may provide the leverage to get the city to pursue an option that could be a moneymaker.

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