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Waukegan committee approves Chevy Tahoe police package; aldermen press for fleet details
Summary
Committee approved purchase of a 2025 Chevy Tahoe police-package vehicle funded by federal forfeiture funds; aldermen questioned reuse of an earlier Tahoe and asked for detail on vehicles being retired.
The Waukegan Finance and Purchasing Committee on July 21 approved a resolution to purchase a 2025 Chevy Tahoe police package vehicle from Curry Motors for $58,006.90, to be funded from federal forfeiture funds.
Committee members questioned whether an earlier Tahoe purchased this year could be repurposed instead of buying a second vehicle. Alderman Hayes asked why a Tahoe previously bought for risk management could not be reassigned; staff and the police chief said the new vehicle is a police package with upgraded alternator, brakes and wiring to support installed equipment and that retrofitting a non-police package Tahoe would require additional work.
Police representatives said several vehicles in the Community Crimes Division are at or near the end of their service life and require frequent repairs; they estimated retiring roughly three vehicles approaching 200,000 miles. The department told aldermen the purchase price of $58,006.90 reflects an authorized state-bid vendor discount of $2,299.10 compared with list pricing, and that Curry Motors is an authorized state bid agent and current vendor for the city.
Alderman Hayes requested a follow-up with an inventory of the specific vehicles to be retired and the cost to retrofit existing vehicles. The committee agreed staff would provide additional information; the motion passed on a roll call with Aldermen Florian, Newsom, Hayes and Donenworth recorded as Aye (Alderman Guzman was not present). The chief noted that federal forfeiture funds are limited to certain uses and listed examples such as equipment, uniforms and officer-related needs.
The committee did not approve any change to mayoral vehicle policy despite discussion that the previously purchased Tahoe was being used by Mayor Cunningham.
Action details: motion to purchase from Curry Motors for $58,006.90 (motion by Alderman Donenworth; second by Alderman Hayes). Funding source: federal forfeiture funds (GL 296629625468).
