Woodbury County approves $1.72 million in road equipment purchases for FY2026

The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on May 20 to accept vendor quotes for new secondary‑roads equipment and authorized the county engineer to execute purchase agreements for fiscal year 2026 equipment needs totaling approximately $1,722,460.

Laura Severs, who presented the request for secondary roads, said the county originally budgeted $1,584,000 for equipment, then proposed moving $150,000 from the dust‑palliative line into equipment to better cover essential needs. Severs said the list of prioritized purchases includes two motor graders, a wheel loader, a skid steer (with trailer), two pickup trucks and two tandem snow‑plow trucks.

Severs gave line‑item quote figures for the recommended equipment. She summarized the request by saying the total need "is $1,722,459.6" and noted some truck prices would be reduced by trade‑in allowances. The board asked for and received context: the county maintains about 1,300 miles of roads, of which roughly 1,000 miles are gravel.

Board members discussed equipment longevity, operator efficiency and lifecycle repair costs; they emphasized buying more robust trucks to reduce recurring repair downtime. Severs told the board foremen and equipment operators had reviewed vendor proposals to select durable configurations intended to lower long‑term maintenance and increase on‑road productivity.

Supervisor Bittinger moved to accept the quotes and authorize the engineer to sign purchase agreements; Supervisor Nelson seconded. The motion passed 4-0.

The board did not amend the list of items at the meeting. County staff will proceed with procurement steps under the approved authorization and apply trade‑in credits where applicable.