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Commissioners approve purchase of Chevy Tahoe and Ford F-150 units after debate over Dodge Durango bids
Summary
Cameron County commissioners debated whether to buy lower-cost Dodge Durangos or higher-cost Chevy Tahoes and Ford F-150s for law-enforcement and other county departments, then voted to approve the Tahoe and F-150 low-bid awards and let departments choose units within budget.
Commissioners on Cameron CountyCommissioners Court debated whether to accept lower bids for Dodge Durango police-package SUVs or to buy higher-priced Chevy Tahoe police-package vehicles and Ford F-150 pickups before approving the Tahoes and F-150s and directing departments to select the vehicle models that best fit their needs.
The debate focused on equipment compatibility, security and long-term reliability. County staff presented the bid tabulation showing Durango bids as the lowest, with a Durango police-package price significantly below the Tahoe bid. Sheriffand constable office representatives, however, raised concerns about the Durango units after recent deliveries, saying they had experienced issues including one instance where keys/fobs allowed unauthorized starts. Chief Deputy Dagoberto Perales said the issue had been opened with the dealer but not yet resolved. Constable Merced Borrias and others also voiced safety and reliability concerns.
County purchasing staff told the court the low-bid Durango price for a police-package SUV was roughly $42,000 per unit while the lowest Tahoe bid was about $53,000 per unit; price differences for pickup replacements also varied by vendor. Staff and precinct representatives explained each department received a budgeted amount per vehicle that covers the unit plus equipment, graphics and electronics.
Commissioner Garza moved to approve purchase of the low bids for the Chevy Tahoe and Ford F-150 (police packages) and allow the relevant departments and precincts to select which approved vehicle fits their operational needs. Commissioner Lopez seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote. The court discussed unit counts during the meeting (requests and allocations mentioned in the record included 10 units requested by the sheriffand multiple constable requests) and staff confirmed the per-unit bid pricing is a fixed unit price under the annual bid, not volume-dependent.
County officials also noted the bid award does not prevent later procurement from the same bid list if departments have future needs. Staff said some Durango units remained available under the award but recommended the Tahoes and F-150s to address the reliability concerns raised by law-enforcement representatives.
The court did not publish a roll-call tally in the record; the clerk recorded the action as approved by the commissioners present.
