A capital ordinance was introduced at last week’s township council meeting to authorize the purchase of a new sport utility vehicle for the Verona Police Department.
The SUV will be paid for from the capital budget account, resulting in no increase in the township’s gross debt. It will replace an aging, 11 year-old detective’s sedan and the cost is estimated to be $25,000.
“The maintenance costs of the current vehicle far exceeds its useful value. Because the new vehicle has a usefulness of over five years, it can be purchased out of capital reserve instead of the operating budget and there is no interest,” Township Manager Joseph Martin said.
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To help reduce the cost, the old detective sedan can be sold off at the next auction, possibly as early as August. Martin added, “There is a great market for old police cars. Movie producers buy them at $3,000 or $4,000 and blow them up in their movies.”
The SUV will be a 2011 Ford Explorer. There will be minimal expenses to outfit the new vehicle for police use because much of the equipment will come from the old sedan and reinstalled into the Explorer. The SUV will not have decals of the Verona Police graphics applied but remain an unmarked vehicle instead.
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The purpose of purchasing an SUV to replace the sedan is to have one more vehicle available in case of heavy snow. According to Verona Police Chief Doug Huber, “I expect this [vehicle] to last us another 10-11 years too. We’re lucky that our guys don’t abuse the cars, so this one should last as long.”
The ordinance was passed on first reading. Approval of the purchase will take place at the next township council meeting on March 21. Once the ordinance is adopted, the new vehicle should be ready in May.
