Commission approves up-to-$5M borrowing to buy motor graders and orders five Komatsu graders at $1.65M

The Jackson County Board of County Commissioners voted Oct. 14 to authorize borrowing through the Florida Local Government Program (pooled commercial paper loan) of up to $5,000,000 to finance the purchase of multiple motor graders over two years.

Staff told commissioners the purchase schedule calls for five motor graders in February 2026 and 10 in February 2027; the resolution authorizes a pooled loan not to exceed $5 million and would be secured by a county covenant to budget and appropriate legally available non-ad valorem revenue. Staff said the variable interest rate at the time of the meeting was about 3.66%, and discussed the history of the county’s prior use of the Florida Local Government Program in 2018.

Following that approval, commissioners approved a purchase order for five Komatsu motor graders, $1,649,624.50, so the county will have machines available when the existing five leased graders’ lease expires in February. Staff said purchasing rather than leasing is cost‑competitive over the expected term and that ownership provides residual value at the end of the equipment’s service life.

Commission discussion included maintenance, local dealer service, and the practice of rotating equipment among districts; staff said Komatsu has provided local service and that the Road & Bridge department maintains records to inform replacement timing and surplus decisions.

Why it matters: The decisions replace recurring lease expenses with county-owned fleet assets, affecting long‑term equipment costs and Road & Bridge operations; the funding resolution enables multi-year equipment acquisition.

Attribution: Details summarized from county staff presentations and commission discussion during the Oct. 14 meeting.