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Chautauqua County weighs leasing or buying as aging veterans van goes in for repairs
Summary
County veteran services staff told the Human Services Committee the veterans van is out of service and likely needs repairs; officials discussed leasing an 8‑passenger wheelchair‑accessible van, purchasing a smaller accessible vehicle, continuing costly rentals, or decommissioning the county vehicle.
Chautauqua County’s director of veterans services told the Human Services Committee on Wednesday that the county’s veterans van is not currently operable and staff are weighing options that include a two‑year lease of an 8‑passenger wheelchair‑accessible van, purchasing a smaller accessible vehicle, or continuing to rent vans while repairs are attempted.
Greg Carlson, director of veteran services, said the current vehicle — a 16‑passenger wheelchair‑accessible bus acquired about 10 years ago — was being driven to Ford for repair on June 30. In the interim the county has rented vehicles from CARTS to honor scheduled trips, a temporary strategy Carlson called expensive.
"It's really just a guide for something to discuss," Carlson said, describing costs and ridership trends. He told committee members that annual operations and maintenance for the current vehicle, excluding fuel billed separately, run about $33,000 in local share. He said a new 16‑passenger bus would cost about $136,500 and would not be available until late 2026 because of supplier lead times.
Carlson said lease quotes for an 8‑passenger wheelchair‑accessible van came in at about $1,500 per month on the high end — roughly $18,000 a year — which would raise the county’s local share to an estimated $50,000 after accounting for other operating costs. He contrasted that with the $75,000 to $90,000 purchase price for a comparable accessible van.
"We're spending about $30,000 to $35,000 a year of local share on the veteran's van," Carlson said. "That would increase to $50,000." He also cited a low residual auction value for the current vehicle: about $1,500 if sold as surplus.
Carlson presented ridership data showing two weekly trips to the Buffalo VA (Wednesdays and Fridays) with an average of 2.87 riders per trip for calendar year 2024 and 2.77 riders per trip from January through May 2025. He said rides are concentrated: six individuals account for roughly 44% of all trips and one user accounts for about 21% (roughly 40–50 trips per year).
Committee members asked about alternatives, including purchasing a van with ARPA funds, contracting on a case‑by‑case basis for transportation, or asking local veteran organizations to run services. Carlson said other counties typically rely on veterans organizations, the Disabled American Veterans or nonprofit operators rather than a county‑taxpayer funded dedicated van.
No formal vote was taken. Carlson said he would obtain firm lease and purchase quotes and continue work on the Ford repair; the county will continue to rent CARTS vehicles through commitments already scheduled. Committee members asked staff to return with comparative cost figures and options once the repair status and formal quotes are available.
The topic was listed on the agenda as "Veterans Affairs vehicle update."
