“The amount of $450,000 has been budgeted in 2021 to purchase annual vehicle replacements, due to high mileage on the vehicles, in which maintenance and repairs have increased due to age, mileage and condition,” Township Administrator Larry Burks said.
Trustee Board President Lee Wong questioned whether all of the vehicles need full safety equipment or if the township could recycle some of it off the old cars.
“Any of the vehicles that we’re able to take equipment out of we do,” Police Chief Joel Herzog said. “With the Ford they’ve changed some styles and will not transfer to the 2021 sport utility vehicles that we are purchasing.”
The chief said equipment like light bars usually stay on the old vehicles when they have traded them in the past to their equipment supplier. This year they are going to also see what they can get on Gov.Deals.com to see “what is our best bang for the buck” if they sell them.
The township replaces 8 to 10 police vehicles every year and they have about 74 vehicles including SWAT. The township switched to sport utility vehicles in 2014 after Ford stopped making the Crown Victoria model.
Fiscal Officer Bruce Jones commended Herzog for managing his fleet.
“I was really impressed with his handle and understanding of the surplus vehicles and depth of the problems that exist,” Jones said. “The flip side of that of course is the purchase of replacement vehicles, which is a very expensive proposition. You really know what’s going on in the trenches.”
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