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Dorchester County Council approves $924,683 fleet lease to replace 27 Sheriff's Office vehicles
Summary
At its Jan. 26 meeting in Cambridge, the Dorchester County Council voted 4–1 to finalize a fleet leasing plan with Enterprise Fleet Management to replace 27 police pursuit vehicles at a cost of $924,683.04, to be included in the FY2027 Capital Budget; county officials cited diminishing PPV availability as the reason for urgency.
The County Council of Dorchester County voted Jan. 26 to finalize a lease plan with Enterprise Fleet Management to replace 27 police pursuit vehicles for the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office at a cost of $924,683.04, funding that the council directed be incorporated into the FY2027 Capital Budget.
County Manager Jerry Jones told the council the request was urgent because the availability of police pursuit vehicles under the county’s current lease program is diminishing. "The salaries within the DCSO and the replacement of PPVs do not have a direct correlation, therefore, if the Council only approved half of the requested vehicles, it does not mean that the DCSO salaries will be increased," Jones said, adding that salary reviews for the sheriff’s office and other departments would be handled during the budget process.
Sheriff James W. Phillips Jr. and members of DCSO leadership provided information to the council on the fleet needs during the meeting. Finance Director Karen Tolley and a representative of Enterprise Fleet Management, Bailey Elliott, also participated in the discussion, explaining terms and the timeline for vehicle replacement.
Councilman Mike Detmer moved to approve the request; Councilman Ricky C. Travers seconded the motion. The council approved the plan by a 4–1 vote, with Councilman William V. Nichols opposed. The motion record states that if Dorchester County declines a vehicle it previously committed to accept, Enterprise Fleet Management may rehome that vehicle to another agency and charge Dorchester County for any rehoming costs incurred.
There were no public comments on the item. With no further business, the council adjourned at 5:28 p.m.
The approved lease and the associated forward costs from the current DCSO lease will be folded into the county’s FY2027 Capital Budget for final appropriation and implementation.
