Burke County commissioners declared a 2020-era wheel loader surplus and authorized staff to sell it at auction with a $60,000 reserve price.

County staff told commissioners the loader has about 11,000 hours and would need roughly $111,000 for transmission repair plus an estimated $40,000 for other repairs, bringing total estimated repair costs to about $151,000. Staff estimated an auction sale would likely bring approximately $75,000 if sold now. Commissioners discussed whether to set a reserve; after a brief discussion they approved a $60,000 reserve to avoid selling below a minimum acceptable price.

A motion to declare the loader surplus and sell it by auction passed with a stated reserve of $60,000. Staff said the vehicle could be sold through an online auction platform such as GovDeals and would include photos showing current condition.

Why it matters: the decision avoids committing significant repair funds to an aging machine and seeks to recover some value through a reserve-backed auction.

Next steps: staff will list the loader for auction with the specified reserve and return to the board with sale results per county sale procedures.