Committee recommends replacing 2016 CIT vehicle amid nationwide vehicle-delivery delays

Golf Manor Village’s Finance Committee voted to recommend procurement of a replacement police vehicle to remove a 2016 Ford Explorer used by the Community Impact Team from frontline duty.

“This is really all in line with the vehicle replacement policy,” finance staff member Eric said, describing a replacement schedule and the difficulty in acquiring fully outfitted police vehicles. Eric told the committee that vehicle procurement and outfitting were taking far longer than in the past — he cited examples such as ambulances taking two-and-a-half years and outfitting delays that left a Tahoe purchased in December still incomplete in May.

Committee members discussed options and agreed the 2016 Ford Explorer (vehicle 216) should be retained as a backup rather than used on the frontline. Eric identified the 216 as “the 2016 Ford Explorer, which is currently marked as community, CIT,” and recommended purchasing one available Tahoe now and considering a second vehicle purchase within the current budget so a second replacement could be delivered in early 2026.

The committee moved and seconded a recommendation to council to proceed with the purchase; members voted in favor. The committee noted the purchase would not change the current budget totals and would rely on existing appropriations and timing assumptions based on vendor lead times. Members asked staff to provide an updated list of fleet vehicles, including make, model and marking color, and asked to review insurance policy details for the fleet.

Less-critical details: members discussed resale value for retired units and noted the department operates four marked cruisers plus a marked K-9 vehicle; two additional units have ongoing mechanical and electrical issues.