Police chief outlines vehicle lease replacements; no new officers proposed for FY26
Loading...
Summary
Police officials said the FY26 budget will include vehicle lease payments to add four leased units — three to replace aging cars — and that staffing will remain at 16 officers; council discussed outfitting costs and maintenance plans.
Montgomery police leaders told council on June 9 that the department will not add officers in FY26 but will continue a vehicle-lease program to replace aging patrol units and maintain reliability.
Police Chief Shane (referred to in the workshop as Chief) and Lieutenant Belmar discussed plans for four new leased vehicles, three of which would replace existing units the city intends to sell off. “That would include replacing 3. So it would be 4 new leases, but 3 old units would be sold off,” Chief Shane said during the workshop. Staff said the department currently has 16 officers and is not requesting additional sworn positions for the coming year.
Council members asked about equipment transfer and outfitting costs. Staff cautioned that outfitting modern patrol vehicles is costlier than in prior years; one presenter said the cost to outfit a vehicle increased from about $57,000 in 2019 to roughly $115,000 more recently. The workshop also covered a maintenance program used for public works vehicles; staff said a separate maintenance arrangement exists for those vehicles but high‑usage police cars have different wear patterns and repair needs.
No formal action to approve leases or change staffing levels occurred at the workshop; staff said they will provide final lease terms and outfitting estimates as budget decisions proceed.
