The Christian County Commission voted Oct. 2 to authorize the assessor's office to purchase a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox under the State of Missouri 2025 new motor vehicle vendor contract.

Kim, a county staff member, told commissioners that the assessor's office solicited bids from the 11 qualified vendors on the state contract, issued bids Sept. 19, and opened responses on Sept. 25. Kim said the county received two bids: "Enroute provided a 2026 Chevy Equinox at $29,061.9" and "Bellman offered a 2026 Jeep Compass at $31,069.9," and that Assessor Jeremy Burns recommended awarding to the low bidder for the Equinox.

Presiding Commissioner Lynn Horton asked about color and vehicle disposition. Kim confirmed the vehicle will be white and said the county has an agreement with the sheriff to transfer the replaced vehicle for departmental use. Horton and commissioners discussed ongoing county efforts to sell unused vehicles and equipment; Horton said that work had generated cash and cleared space in county facilities.

A commissioner moved to approve the purchase and Horton seconded; the motion carried on a unanimous voice vote. The transcript records that the county will purchase the Equinox from the low and best overall provider under the state contract and that Ozarks Chevrolet will be involved in building/specifying the vehicle. The county did not present a full purchase order or show the exact trade-in value of the replaced vehicle during the meeting.

The action uses the State of Missouri's contracted vendor list rather than an open county bid because it follows the state contract vehicle procurement process, as described by staff. The county did not supply a finalized contract number or delivery date in the public discussion.