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Warwick committee approves purchase of 16 police vehicles amid budget scrutiny
Summary
The finance committee and later full council approved the purchase of 16 police vehicles totaling $1,072,838.52 and authorized including them in the FY27 lease-purchase plan. Council members pressed police and finance staff for clearer budgeting, lease details and the full lifecycle costs of the fleet.
The finance committee on July 6 approved a request to purchase 16 police vehicles, with the police department reporting a total cost of $1,072,838.52 that includes upfitting and equipment installation. The vehicles would be bought through cooperative procurement under the Greater Boston Police Consortium Master Price Agreement and funded via the city’s lease-purchase program (budget code 4990449).
Major Robert Hart of the Warwick Police Department told the committee the vehicles will be assigned across supervisors, patrol, traffic and investigations and that the upfitter delivers them largely “turnkey.” “These vehicles will be assigned to various portions of the fleet, including supervisors, admin, patrol, traffic, and investigations,” Major Hart said, noting radios and tablets will be reused where possible and that additional mounting brackets or tablets would come from existing bids.
The committee pressed for more precision on related costs. The committee chair, speaking from the dais, said he continues to object to an accelerated replacement schedule and raised the cumulative use of federal ARPA funds on fleet purchases in recent years. “I expressed my feelings regarding $1,000,000 worth of vehicles again,” the chair said, noting concern about distinguishing wants from needs in capital planning.
Finance staff said the purchase is part of a lease-purchase arrangement. Lynn Prodger of the finance office explained the city will go to bid for financing and present multi-year repayment options and interest estimates later. “For the lease purchase, we have to go out to bid to do that lease purchase,” Prodger said; she added interest charges will be applied in addition to the principal authorized tonight.
The item was tracked as PCR 76-26 and subsequently moved to the full council. The full council recorded a roll-call vote to approve the purchase in its later session. The council vote passed; dissenters cited process and timing concerns but did not defeat the measure.
The next step is formalizing the lease-purchase financing details and presenting repayment schedules and interest estimates to the council before funds are committed.
Sources: Presentation and Q&A at the Finance Committee (major department staff; Lynn Prodger, finance) and subsequent full council roll call.
