Harnett County OKs five-year fleet agreement to supply sheriff vehicles

HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. — The Harnett County Board of Commissioners voted to enter a five‑year fleet agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management to provide and manage county sheriff vehicles.

County staff presented the proposal as a way to stabilize vehicle procurement and replacement. Kimberly (county staff) told commissioners that Enterprise would help manage ordering, upfitting and resale timing, and that an initial ordering block of roughly 40 vehicles had been modeled as a starting point. "The sweet spot of that vehicle when you're talking about the years, the mileage, the package, there's a window of opportunity to be able to sell that at maximum dollars to come back to the county," Kimberly said.

The proposal drew questions about mileage, resale value and operational control. Harnett County's sheriff (unnamed) said he supported the plan as a safety and consistency measure: "I think in the long run, it keeps our cars rotated out," he told the board, adding that the program would allow staff to rotate vehicles before high‑mileage safety issues arise. Commissioners asked how the county would avoid a yard full of high‑mile vehicles at contract end; an Enterprise representative, Devin Moore, said the company provides a client strategy manager and fleet analytics that will monitor mileage and market values and work with fleet staff to time turn‑ins and replacements.

County staff and the Enterprise representative described several expected operational benefits: consolidated ordering (access to manufacturer order banks), coordinated upfitting with a local upfitter (Batteries of NC), integrated fuel and telematics reporting (WEX and fleet software), and a projected resale return in a multi‑year model. Kimberly said Enterprise's projection for a 40‑vehicle model estimated about $435,000 in return at the end of the plan's fifth year for those units, and that the order bank for this year's vehicles "will open up June 24" (as presented to the board).

Commissioners also asked about exit options. Enterprise staff said the master lease agreement establishes the partnership and individual leases carry terms; the county could convert leases to purchase-finance or buy out book value if the board chose to exit. Moore said buyout value would be wholesale book value.

After discussion and clarifications about monitoring, resale, and operational control, a commissioner moved to enter the agreement for five years; another commissioner seconded the motion. The motion carried on a voice vote called by the chair; the clerk recorded the ayes and no oppositions.

Commissioners directed staff to finalize contract documents and coordinate the ordering and upfit schedule with the sheriff's office and the county fleet team. The board discussed broadening the program to other county fleets in the future but focused first on the sheriff's vehicles because that fleet is the largest county user.