DuPage County committee approves vehicle, equipment purchases and budget transfers after public questions about Silverado pricing

The DuPage County Judicial and Public Safety Committee on Oct. 7, 2025 approved a series of contract purchase orders, budget transfers and grant actions for the sheriff’s office and circuit court, and heard a public comment questioning higher-than-expected pricing for three Chevrolet Silverado pickups.

A resident, Jesse Gutierrez of West Chicago, told the committee he compared online baseline pricing for Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cabs with the amounts listed in the procurement packet and asked for more clarity on the apparent price difference. “Baseline models even considered new or in the mid thirties, 35, $36,000,” Gutierrez said. “However, on the agenda, the pricing on the Chevy Silverados is over $50,000 a piece… I just simply ask that the community take a little bit of time to discuss where this pricing is coming from or at least on the website have a little more of a description about where we got to that pricing.”

Chief Bilodeau of the sheriff’s office responded that the three Chevrolet Silverados on the agenda were not base models but Z71 pickups equipped with a police pursuit package. “A base model Chevy Silverado pickup is not pursuit rated,” Bilodeau said. He explained the pursuit-rated specification includes “increased…