Supervisors award FY26 pickup bid to Rotman Motors; staff to re-bid for additional truck

Jackson County supervisors approved Tuesday the low bid for a fiscal year 2026 pickup truck from Rotman Motors for $44,178 and instructed staff to reissue bid documents to seek a second pickup to meet needs among county departments.

County staff said they solicited bids after Public Health expressed interest in acquiring an in-house truck and the courthouse requested use of another unit. Bids were received from local dealers; Rotman Motors submitted the low conforming bid for a standard-trim model at $44,178. Another dealer, Tills, provided two quotes: one for a vehicle available on the lot at $40,910 (with additional features) and another for a model meeting the county's revised standard trim at $46,115, which would be available in six to eight weeks.

Staff explained the county had changed its previous, highly customized specification to a more widely available, standard trim after consulting Clinton County and dealers; the change reduced lead times and, in examples cited by staff, reduced per-unit price compared with a special-order truck. Several supervisors said it would be more transparent to rebid for a second truck rather than amend the current award, noting dealers indicated second trucks would likely be similarly priced and often require ordering with 6–8 week lead times.

The board voted to accept the low bid from Rotman Motors for the single pickup and to authorize staff to reissue the same specification to solicit a second vehicle. Supervisors said department transfers and trades would be used in the interim to meet vehicle needs.

County staff said trade-in values were calculated using Kelley Blue Book trade-in estimates and reminded the board the county's equipment budget remained within appropriations.

The motion to award the truck carried on a voice vote; no roll-call vote was recorded.