After heated debate, Cherokee Village council approves purchase of one fully equipped police Tahoe for up to $68,000

Cherokee Village — After more than an hour of discussion about vehicle availability, grants and reserves, the Cherokee Village City Council voted June 26 to buy one fully equipped 2024 Chevy Tahoe for up to $68,000, to be paid from city reserves.

The police chief and lieutenant described a multi-year fleet-replacement program intended to keep frontline units under roughly 150,000 miles and reduce maintenance costs through regular rotation. They said vehicle availability is tight this year; dealers and manufacturers have limited 2025 allocations and some units that had been reserved were sold before the city could finalize purchases.

Council members pressed the police leadership on alternatives: buying fewer vehicles, financing through USDA low-interest loans, using a mix of cash and financing, and pursuing equipment grants for next year. The mayor and finance-minded members warned that spending two vehicles this year would draw heavily on reserves and could consume a large share of the city's contingency funds.

A proposal to purchase two vehicles was discussed but councilors ultimately approved a motion — made and seconded during the meeting — to purchase one 2024 Chevy Tahoe with a vehicle-and-equipment cap of $68,000 to be paid from the FNBC reserve account. The roll-call vote recorded Thompson, Low, Ishmael, Roland and Harrison as yes.

Council asked police to pursue grants to offset equipment costs, to identify which high-mileage units will be retired and to provide updated resale estimates for trade-ins. Officials said grant applications for equipment might come into play next year; no grants were available this year to cover vehicle purchases.

Next steps: the police department will finalize purchase logistics and return to council if financing or procurement details change.