MT. VERNON — The Mt. Vernon Police Department (MVPD) is experiencing an unusual amount of issues with their vehicles. A request to bypass formal bidding and purchase four, 2019 Ford Interceptor SUV’s was made by the MVPD to the Mt. Vernon City Council at Monday night’s meeting.
Fleet Services Director, Mike Shannon says The SUV’s are selling quickly due to an early termination by the manufacturer and the rising costs of new models set to come out later this year into 2020.
City Manager Mary-Ellen Bechtel says inventory from surrounding dealerships is dwindling for replacement vehicles.
The council approved MVPD’s request and also amended it to move forward with the purchase of 5 SUV’s to fill the department’s full need.
Mayor John Lewis backed up the approval by saying the purchase of the cheaper 2019 Dodge Durango Pursuit could in turn cost taxpayers more money down the line.
If the city can purchase all 5 from Vogler Ford and Morrow Brothers in Carbondale and Greenfield respectively, the total cost for the SUV’s would be around $153,012.
See the full report from Fleet Services Director, Mike Shannon, via the “REPORT” link below.