The Board of Supervisors tabled action on a proposed lease for a new solid‑waste wheel loader after members raised questions about total cost, maintenance expenses on the county’s existing machine, and whether buying would be more economical than leasing.

Lance Rousley, representing Bedford County Solid Waste, told the board the current Caterpillar 926M loader has 10,066 hours and that the department handles roughly 44 tons of waste annually (the speaker later described daily throughput as 175–200 tons). Rousley presented a four‑year lease quote for a Case 651 wheel loader that included a maintenance package and a monthly payment the presentation listed as $6,691 per month; he also supplied the equipment sticker price cited at $359,160 and a residual/purchase option of $123,900 at lease end.

Board members asked for clarification on total costs and whether buying the loader outright would be a better value given the quoted figures and the county’s recent annual maintenance costs for the existing machine. One board member reported prior year repair and maintenance costs on the existing machine near $52,000 and several supervisors said they preferred staff to return with a purchase‑versus‑lease comparison and confirmation of the multiple numbers in the quote. A motion to table the item carried.

What the county said: funds for the loader were included in the FY26 budget and the proposed lease included a maintenance agreement covering four years or 8,000 hours, whichever came first. If approved, the current loader would be placed in reserve status as a backup unit.

Next steps: staff will research and return with a comparison of buying versus leasing (including dealer pricing, residuals, expected hours, and maintenance‑cost projections) at a subsequent meeting.