Commission asks staff to phase Enterprise vehicle‑leasing plan and return with narrowed list

Dade City commissioners on April 14 stopped short of approving a broad municipal lease with Enterprise Fleet Management and instead directed staff to return with a phased plan focused on the vehicles already budgeted for replacement.

Enterprise representatives described a municipal lease (not a rental) that would cover preventive and major mechanical maintenance (excluding natural wear items such as brakes and tires) and noted advantages including resale timing and centralized maintenance tracking. "Every mechanical item that needs maintenance is included in our proposal with the exception of brakes, tires," Enterprise area manager Mike Sosa said, adding the company projects guaranteed repairs and an account team to manage reporting.

Several commissioners raised concerns about scale and timing. One commissioner said the proposal read as 28 vehicles at once and characterized that as "diving off a cliff," asking for a smaller pilot and clearer annual maintenance savings. Others asked for historical maintenance costs for the listed vehicles, line‑by‑line justification for each replacement and optics about replacing relatively recent vehicles. Commissioners asked staff to return with a comparison that prioritizes the ~14 vehicles already approved in the budget for replacement and to show the savings and budget impacts before moving forward.

Staff and Enterprise said phasing is possible and that the program is ongoing and can be adjusted if the city wants to start with a smaller set. The commission did not take a final vote and asked staff to bring back a revised, phased proposal at the next meeting.