Jaden King, Page County engineer, told supervisors the county’s gravel-mowing fleet has been limited by equipment failures and presented options to replace or lease a tractor and to purchase a heavy-duty batwing mower.

King said a purchase quote for a tractor similar to the county’s current machine was about $200,000, while a local lease offer for a John Deere tractor (up to 350 hours per year) would cost $26.50 per hour, about $9,275 for a year of use. He said the lease rate increases to about $38.50 per hour after 350 hours. “We need a vehicle or I need a tractor that can mow more than 250 hours a year,” King said, recommending the John Deere lease to meet the county’s expected hours and reduce immediate capital outlay.

King described mower quotes for a pull-behind Schulte batwing (right-hand wing only) in the $37,250–$38,115 range and a rear-mounted mower that attaches to a tractor frame priced near $51,000. He and department superintendents recommended the heavier-duty Schulte model for the county’s “mowing gravels” use because lighter mowers have not held up in that work.

King provided usage figures: a John Deere mower logged about 346 hours from May–September 2024; this year one machine logged 763 hours during the same period, and another machine was out of service after engine failure. He said limited mower availability meant the county did less gravel mowing this year.

Supervisors asked about lease maintenance, damage responsibility and delivery timing. King said mechanical warranty issues are covered by the lessor, but damage caused by county operators would be the county’s responsibility and routine maintenance (oil changes, etc.) would be on the county. He also said leased or purchased equipment would likely arrive in spring rather than before the current season’s end.

The board tabled final action on the tractor and mower purchases until the next meeting to allow staff to review lease terms, confirm funding from an increased carryover balance reported in the annual report and provide final documentation.