Mount Airy approves emergency budget amendment and buys two patrol cruisers after fleet losses

The Mount Airy Town Council on Feb. 3 approved an emergency budget amendment adding $54,000 to the town’s capital budget to cover the immediate purchase of two patrol cruisers, and separately authorized purchasing two vehicles identified by the police chief.

Chief of Police Ginevra told the council the department lost two cars in 2024 and currently lacks spare vehicles; she said she located two in-stock vehicles that could be acquired more quickly than ordering new builds. The chief said one dealer quoted a package price of $45,079 for the two vehicles she found in inventory. She described the search as “long and tedious” and said lead times for factory-built vehicles were about 120 days.

Council approved the emergency budget amendment (Ordinance 20 25 dash 1) on a voice vote and then approved the purchase of the two cruisers. Council members noted that vehicle upfitting costs (lights, radios, cages, etc.) were not included in the emergency amendment; staff said upfitting will be brought back to council in a separate request. The council and chief discussed using salvaged equipment from decommissioned cars to reduce upfitting costs and the option to upfit using the town’s existing property seized from a totaled vehicle where appropriate.

The town’s action reflects a response to operational needs: the police department is continuing recruitment for a lieutenant and for lateral and new hires, and council members said maintaining fleet readiness is essential to daily operations.

The motions to adopt the budget amendment and to purchase the vehicles passed on voice votes at the meeting.