Finance committee recommends prepayment to lock price on new pumper‑tanker for Test Corners volunteer fire department

The Muskego City Finance Committee on May 13 voted to recommend approval of a purchase agreement and prepayment option for a velocity pumper‑tanker to serve the Test Corners Volunteer Fire Department, with the volunteer department contributing $25,003.76 so the city share does not exceed $950,000.

Committee members and city staff debated whether to prepay the vendor to lock the purchase price and avoid future increases during the truck’s multi‑year build. City staff described the prepayment option as a common way to fix the manufacturer price during long lead times. “If we prepay for this and we’ve done this with fire trucks in the past … everything’s locked,” a city staff presenter said during the meeting.

The discussion centered on three main concerns: the rising vendor estimates since the vehicle was first budgeted, whether the city should pay the full amount up front instead of a deposit, and whether the…