Custer County approves purchase of seven used vehicles, agrees to $5,000 down payment and sell surplus units

Custer County commissioners on March 11 approved a plan to buy seven used vehicles from another county and to sell older county vehicles to help fund the purchase, agreeing in principle to a $5,000 down payment and to finalize financing and a vehicle list in a future resolution.

Chair Bill Candacoster opened a special meeting and introduced the vehicle purchase and sale as the sole new-business item. Commissioners discussed the county fleet’s condition — citing older Durangos, Yukons with high mileage and a Trailblazer used at the airport — and considered whether to keep some vehicles for operational needs (for example, third-row seating for certain Department of Human Services runs) or sell them to cover the new purchase.

Commissioner Lucas, who summarized options and tradeoffs from a prior presentation, said the county would likely need to sell multiple older vehicles to fund acquisition of newer units and urged careful selection of which vehicles to retain. "We're gonna have to sell some other vehicles to make this happen, and we need to sell them anyway if we're gonna get new ones," Lucas said.

Staff and commissioners discussed an offer to buy seven units from Chaffey County at about $8,000 apiece (roughly $56,000). The proposal included outfitting three vehicles, which staff estimated would add $14,003.81, bringing the total purchase and outfitting cost to $70,003.81. After subtracting a proposed $5,000 down payment, the financed balance was stated as $65,381.89, with a first annual payment due March 6, 2027. A commissioner described financing terms offered at 4.9% with an option to defer the first payment until next March.

Commissioners discussed sale platforms and reserve pricing to maximize returns; Commissioner Lucas recommended using GovDeals for some vehicles so the county could set minimum prices rather than using Purple Wave. The board also discussed accepting a donation of a Jeep Commander that had been parked for safekeeping; commissioners said the county would inspect the vehicle and formally accept any donation in a future meeting and complete required bookkeeping transfers.

A motion was made to proceed with the purchase and financing structure discussed (including the $5,000 down payment) and was seconded; the chair called for a voice vote and commissioners responded in the affirmative. Staff were directed to provide an itemized list of county vehicles proposed for sale and to prepare a resolution identifying specific vehicles and VINs for formal action.

The board adjourned after confirming next steps on paperwork and scheduling: staff will email the vehicle details and draft resolution language to commissioners for review before a later formal vote. The meeting ended at about 4:04 p.m.