Pratt County commissioners approved three vehicle purchases during a public bid opening, awarding contracts after reviewing trade-in allowances and dealer fees.

The commission voted 3-0 to purchase a 2025 Toyota Camry LE from Midwest Toyota for $25,315, trading in a 2014 Ford Fusion. A separate motion approved a 2023 Chevrolet Equinox RS (trade-in of a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu) for $26,006.94. Commissioners also approved a 2024 Chevrolet Malibu LT (trade-in of a 2012 Chevy Malibu) with a total cost of $22,001.94; all votes were recorded as passing 3-0.

Bidders and dealer representatives presented several options during the bid opening. Dealer quotes across multiple vendors showed a range of new and lightly used vehicles; commissioners weighed differences in price, new versus used status, and vehicle features. Commission discussion noted one staff preference to specify a new vehicle for a vehicle that has high battery-replacement risk if a hybrid is selected.

During the review, Doug Ray (dealer representative) and others provided trade-in values and per-vehicle totals. Commissioners directed staff to send the winning bid numbers to the vendors and confirmed that the approved purchases met the bid specifications. The commission recorded motions, seconds and unanimous votes for each award; no dissenting votes were recorded.