Red Springs commissioners approve lease plan for five town vehicles; budget amendment to follow

The Town of Red Springs Board of Commissioners voted to proceed with leasing five non‑police vehicles for town operations, a step the manager said is aimed at replacing aging fleet vehicles and reducing deferred-maintenance costs.

Town Manager presented the proposal and described a five‑year lease on a Ford F‑150‑style vehicle with what she called “a total all‑in cost of $34,358” per vehicle. She said the package uses state contract pricing and includes a vehicle maintenance program that would cover major repairs during the lease term. The manager noted police vehicle purchases and upfitting were handled separately; police upfitting costs were described in the meeting as about $26,000 for unmarked units and about $30,000 for marked units, which the town rolled into its police lease program.

Commissioners pressed for clarifications before final budget action, asking staff to document mileage limits, vendor warranty details, and accountability measures for assigned vehicles (mileage logs and damage reporting). Several commissioners said they would support moving forward with the expectation those vendor and program questions are answered before the board adopts the budget amendment. One commissioner urged stronger day‑to‑day accountability for vehicles assigned to managers and department heads so fleet assets are not routinely damaged or left unrepaired.

The motion to authorize moving forward with the lease package carried by voice vote; the manager said a budget amendment to appropriate funds will be presented at a special called meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. for final adoption. The manager told the board the leasing option was presented as a way to manage total cost of ownership over five years while addressing the town’s backlog of vehicles needing replacement.