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Board approves lease for up to four sheriff vehicles and a Building Safety truck after buy-vs-lease debate
Summary
After debate over costs and fleet needs, the Leelanau County Board authorized a lease with Enterprise (Sourcewell national contract) for up to four patrol vehicles and one Toyota Tacoma for Building Safety, 5-2; commissioners questioned interest costs and whether three vehicles would suffice.
The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners authorized a lease agreement with Enterprise Fleet Leasing on Jan. 20 to acquire and upfit up to four patrol vehicles for the sheriff's office and a Toyota Tacoma for the Building Safety Department. The motion, amended to permit "up to four" sheriff vehicles, passed on a 5-2 roll-call vote (Bunek and Campbell opposed).
Administrator Jim Dyer framed the choice to lease as budget planning: leasing, he said, "gives you the opportunity to have predictability in your budgets" and helps "smooth" cash flow that otherwise could require large one-time purchases.
Commissioner William Bunek questioned the value of leasing at the implied interest rates, saying he "fails to see where there is an investment where they will be getting 7% on their money." Dyer responded, citing opportunity-cost considerations for keeping $300,000 off the market, which he said reduced financial flexibility.
Commissioner Alan Campbell suggested authorizing "up to four" vehicles rather than a strict four and raised concerns about whether the motion constituted a full purchasing contract versus an outline; the board included final legal review by county counsel in the motion.
The approved action uses pricing through a Sourcewell national cooperative contract modified for Michigan municipalities and requires final approval of contract form by the county attorney. The minutes show the motion was moved by Commissioner Gwenne Allgaier and seconded by Commissioner Ty Wessell and passed 5-2.
The lease authorization includes authority for the board chair to sign all documents necessary to complete the vehicle acquisition after legal review; no specific dollar amount for the lease obligation was recorded in the minutes at the time of the vote.
