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Sheriff asks commissioners for guidance on timing of police vehicle purchases amid budget-cycle mismatch
Summary
Valley County sheriff told commissioners March 24 that a mismatch between vehicle build windows and the county27s fiscal year is complicating decisions about buying pursuit SUVs; staff said current pricing is about $40,0002D$45,000 per vehicle and a Dodge incentive of about $6,500 is available if ordered before the vendor deadline.
Sheriff Kevin told Valley County commissioners at their March 24 meeting that the county must decide whether to buy two or three pursuit vehicles this year after reviewing the fleet and budget timing. He said a long-standing mismatch between vehicle manufacturers27 "block" build windows and the county27s Oct. 1 fiscal year can require the county to absorb purchases in the wrong budget year.
"We're only gonna need 2, not 3 this year," Sheriff Kevin said after running department mileage and spare-vehicle calculations. County staff and commissioners discussed options including preapproving purchases, placing vehicles in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), or waiting until the next budget year.
County staff said current market prices for pursuit-package SUVs are roughly $40,000 to $45,000 and that Dodge was offering an incentive of about $6,500 for Durango orders. Meeting participants also reported that a Dodge fleet representative told them Durangos must be ordered by mid-May to qualify for the current block build; county staff said an April 30/May 15 ordering window was discussed during the meeting.
Commissioners expressed concern about paying for vehicles from the wrong budget and the county27s ability to carry costs through the fiscal year close. One commissioner asked whether the purchases should be included in CIP so future years would reflect a regular replacement cycle; county staff confirmed that the county routes items over $25,000 through CIP and that vehicle purchases have historically been handled that way.
Several commissioners asked finance staff to provide an updated spreadsheet showing what has already been paid from the current year and what would fall to the next year if orders are placed now. The sheriff27s office said three Durangos previously paid for had been delivered and were in service, and staff agreed to return with a budget breakdown and a recommendation for how many vehicles to order and which budget year would be charged.
Commissioners and staff also discussed local procurement options. The sheriff27s office said it tries to buy locally when possible and that Cascade Auto has been involved; the state bid vendor Down Home Auto was identified as the state bid representative but may require more travel for warranty work.
No formal decision was made; commissioners directed staff to provide updated budget figures and to place the purchase request in the CIP cycle for consideration before the build window closes.
