York County approves purchase of wheelchair-accessible transit minivan

The York County Board of Commissioners voted April 14 to purchase a lower-floor, wheelchair-accessible minivan to replace aging vehicles in the county transit fleet. County transit staff said the vehicle price is $77,000 and that the federal share covers $61,600; state and local shares are each $7,700.

The purchase was introduced during a public hearing. Lori, a county transit representative, told commissioners that one vehicle will be traded in and moved to backup status and that lead times for delivery can range from six months to more than a year. Willard Peterson, who said he sits on the county’s aging-services board, urged the commissioners to approve the vehicle, calling the transit program “an absolute lifesaver” for residents who cannot drive.

Commissioners moved to approve the purchase with authorization for the chair to sign the required documents. The motion passed on a roll-call vote. Chair and staff said the county will submit the required documents for signature and proceed with procurement timelines while monitoring federal vehicle lead times.

The decision follows routine budget and procurement procedures and comes as county staff prepare to request an additional vehicle in a future budget year to stagger fleet replacement, staff said. No opposition was recorded during the hearing.

The board moved on to other agenda items after the vote. The county expects to return to related transit budget questions during annual budget adjustments or as new vehicles are requested for replacement.