DUANE SHERRILLEditor

The city of Tullahoma will buy four new police vehicles at a total cost of nearly a quarter-million dollars.

The city board of mayor and alderman passed a measure to buy four Ford interceptor police cars with emergency equipment through Lonnie Cobb Ford for $233,872.

“We are on a cycle where we replace four cars each year,” said City Administrator Jason Quick.

Quick pointed out several cars were purchased by the city in the last two or three years because they had gotten so far behind in their maintenance schedule.

“We had cars that had been in our fleet (up to 19 years) in which we were not able to get parts anymore,” he said, noting the recent purchase of a truck was done out of the drug fund and not part of the city’s budget.

“We want to get the 2025 cars before they go to 2026 pricing,” he revealed, noting that the police chief has secured the ability to get the cars on a state contract.

Quick recalled that in the past the city would have to wait a year or so to get the cars they ordered. Under the current relationship, Quick said the new cars could been delivered within a week and they can be striped within a week.

Alderman Kurt Glick asked if the city has a schedule of when cars will be replaced the city fleet. Quick said there is long range plans of replacements.

“It seems we’ve spent tons of money on vehicles,” Glick said. “It seems like every agenda there’s a quarter of a million dollars of vehicles on it.”

Quick explained that the city staffing its schools with school resource officers has led to a greater need to purchase vehicles so those officers are fully equipped to do their jobs.

The measure passed 6-0 with Matthew Bird absent.