Council approves purchase of four police vehicles; asks for upfitting cost breakdown

The Weatherford City Council on Tuesday approved the purchase of four police pursuit and patrol vehicles — three 2026 Chevrolet Silverados and one 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe — but asked police staff to provide a detailed breakdown of upfitting costs at the next council meeting.

Why it matters: Council members said they support securing vehicles quickly given supply constraints but emphasized transparency about the substantial upfitting costs that can represent a large portion of total procurement costs.

The agenda listed a not‑to‑exceed amount for the package; staff read the figure aloud during the meeting and said they would provide a line‑item list of upfitting materials and labor. “We can definitely get you that information,” Chief Hayes said when asked for a breakdown of upfit costs, adding that the dealership model being used should shorten lead time by leveraging dealer purchasing power.

Police staff described a new approach that concentrates vehicle purchase and upfitting through the dealership to reduce lead time, rather than the previous three‑vendor model (vehicle dealer, upfitter, and city procurement). Staff said historically 80–85% of vehicle cost can be consumed by upfitting and that pickups will require secure, waterproof storage boxes in the bed and modified cages for K‑9 and transport roles.

Council member Heidi Wilder moved to approve the purchases while requesting that police provide an itemized upfitting schedule at the next council meeting; council approved the purchase and asked staff to return with the upfit Excel worksheet Lieutenant Hopkins maintains so council can see each component and cost.

Ending: City staff said the dealership’s buying power can move vehicle orders closer to the front of manufacturers’ queues and that staff will return with a detailed upfitting estimate at the next meeting.