Wheatland's current squad car.
The Wheatland Town Board on Monday gave Constable Bob Haas permission to shop for a new squad car.
Haas will get prices from three area Dodge dealers for a police package Dodge Charger, the same make and model he currently dries. That way. most equipment should be able to be transferred from one vehicle to the other, Haas said.
Town Chairman Bill Glembocki said he compared replacement schedules with three area departments. He found that the Sheriff’s Department and Twin Lakes both replace their police patrol vehicles at 75,000 to 80,000 miles or after four years. Burlington replaces its squads, which are only used for city driving, at 75,000 miles.
Wheatland’s current squad, a 2006 model, has 106,000 miles on it, Haas said. The town paid about $22,000 for the vehicle.
“For safety reasons, I think it’s time to replace it …,” Haas said.
The board unanimously gave its approval for Haas to obtain the three quotes.
If the town goes ahead with the squad car replacement, Haas suggested the town consider selling the vehicle outright instead of trading it in. He said the last squad car got the town $1,000 as a trade.
The current squad has a Hemi engine and a special Mercedes-Benz chassis that Haas feels might be a desirable selling point.
Glembocki, a Chrysler employee, said he would also be willing to give the town one of his employee discount codes if it would be allowed.
“If I want to donate one to the town, that’s my business,” Glembocki said.
who does the negotiations for the town of Wheatland? $1000 for a trade in? Really? Have none of you ever bartered for a vehicle before? You thought that was a good deal?
No wonder we have so many financial issues with townships, towns, and villages. No one wants to fight for the best deal, just spend, spend, spend.
“Wheatland’s current squad, a 2006 model, has 106,000 miles on it, “For safety reasons, I think it’s time to replace it …,†“—-Safety reasons? Ridiculous. Your going to try and sell it now, after putting that out there? Who would want to buy it if its unsafe?
Perhaps, try selling it to the county, or local towns that have their own municipal vehicles that need to be replaced. The aging Chevy Caprice that isnt cheap to keep repairing. Other states require this option to be done, it helps keep operating costs down. Would donating it to Cars for Kids be an option? For normal people, they receive a tax credit for the blue book value of the vehicle.
Town Chairman Bill Glembocki seems to be offering the only honorable solution, using a personal discount to help the town out. He, of course, will get shot down, because why would they want to save money?