Harnett County approves five‑year fleet agreement with Enterprise for sheriff's vehicles

HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. — The Harnett County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously June 2 to enter a five‑year agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management to lease, upfit and resell sheriff's office vehicles, county staff and the sheriff said at the meeting.

County staff told commissioners the agreement is intended to replace aging patrol cars more predictably, improve safety by reducing high‑mileage vehicles in service and capture higher resale value when units are turned in. The board approved the agreement after a presentation by county staff and Enterprise representatives.

Kimberly, the county fleet coordinator, said the county plans to start with an initial order of about 40 patrol vehicles to get “40 of your oldest vehicles out of your fleet at once,” lowering maintenance and fuel costs and creating a steadier replacement cycle. She described a projected five‑year resale return of roughly $435,000 on a 40‑vehicle plan and said vehicles ordered under the program would likely arrive in the county yard in the November delivery window if ordered promptly.

Devin Moore, Enterprise's fleet representative, explained the program has no hard mileage cap in the lease but that Enterprise will use telematics and analytics to flag high‑mileage vehicles early so the county and sheriff's office can rotate assignments or replace specific cars before resale value drops. Moore said Enterprise's resale operation specializes in remarketing used fleet units nationwide and that proceeds from sales would return to the county as equity or be applied toward future vehicle purchases.

Sheriff (Harnett County Sheriff's Office) told commissioners he supported the plan because it would reduce the time deputies spend driving excessively high‑mileage vehicles and help keep safer cars in service. County staff noted the program includes fleet software, quarterly analytics and a client strategy team to advise on replacement timing and to help avoid negative equity on individual units.

Commissioners asked about alternatives such as staging purchases (buying smaller lots over several years) and whether the county would be left with a yard full of high‑mileage vehicles if it exited the program. Enterprise representatives said the agreement structure allows flexibility; the county could finance leased units to receive titles, buy out book value, or let the leasing program phase out and sell units through Enterprise's resale channels.

The board made a motion to enter the five‑year agreement and approved it by voice vote. Commissioners and staff said the arrangement is not an irrevocable lock‑in and that account managers would meet three to four times per year with county staff to adjust the plan based on mileage, usage, and evolving vehicle availability.

Finance staff and fleet managers said last three years' county vehicle sales (52 units) returned about $121,000 and argued the Enterprise plan should improve that return through coordinated replacement timing. Commissioners who spoke in favor cited operational consistency, maintenance savings and improved officer safety as reasons to approve the agreement.