After months of trying to sort out details of a lease program or a decision to purchase vehicles outright, the Marshall County Commissioners approved a recommendation from Sheriff Matt Hassel on how to proceed in obtaining five new vehicles for the Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff Hassel explained that he’d like to simply purchase the vehicles.
“We have 16 vehicles that are assigned to patrol. The normal life of these vehicles is four years. If we lease just these 16 vehicles, on three-year leases, using the present figures that we were given, it would cost us $157,015 per year. Our budgeted amount for vehicles this year was $114,000 which will leave us short. We would also need additional funds to buy back some of the vehicles to update the remaining vehicles in the fleet,” said Hassel.
With that explanation, Sheriff Hassel recommended purchasing the vehicles instead of utilizing the lease program.
“I’m going to recommend a purchase agreement with Country Auto for four police-pursuit rated Durangos and one Dodge Ram 1500 crew cab 4X4 pickup for a total, less trades, for $145,341.”
The purchase agreement would be signed by Commission President Kevin Overmyer.
Four vehicles will be traded, while one vehicle was involved in an accident and it is simply being replaced.
Sheriff Hassel showed that there is money in the sheriff’s budget from four different line items to cover the purchase.
The commissioners approved the recommendation to purchase the vehicles from Country Auto at a total cost of $145,341.
