Cars canceled: Sheriff out of luck for new vehicles in ‘22

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Inflation and supply chain issues has kicked Wood County out of its place for sheriff vehicles this year.

Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn told the commissioners that eight Ford vehicles he was expecting for 2022 will not be coming.

The county usually has a state purchasing agreement with a dealership, he said.

“We’ve done it for years, we don’t have to go out for bid, it’s actually a good price and it’s worked out well,” Wasylyshyn said.

Until now.

Wasylyshyn said he had just received an email from the Ford dealership that had the state purchasing contract: “Terrible news, your ordered units will not be built.”

The dealer said that 400 of his orders, including ones for Wood County, had been canceled.

The 2023 sheriff vehicles are in “the order bank” but “will come at a heavy price tag,” Wasylyshyn said.

It will be almost $9,000 more per car, he said. The original cost of each vehicle was $36,380.

“They found out it’s better for them to just not make police cars, and sell them to the general public, because they’re going to sell as quickly as they can build them,” Wasylyshyn said. “Or they’re saying … law enforcement, you want to buy cars? You’re going to pay the same … as John Q. Public.”

The 2022 vehicles were ordered in March, he said.

“We’re supposedly at the top of the list for next year … if they make any at this pricing,” Wasylyshyn said.

The county will be eligible to buy eight at contract pricing, he said, for 2023.

Wasylyshyn said he believes they will not do state purchasing after next year.

“There’s a lot of unknowns right now,” he said. “We’ve never had this happen before.”

Another option it to go out for bid, but it’s doubtful that any other dealership can match or even offer a vehicle.

Commissioner Craig LaHote said he would prefer that the sheriff’s office stay with the hybrid vehicles.

Wasylyshyn agreed, saying the fleet went from averaging 16 miles per gallon with all-gas vehicles, to 21 miles per gallon with the hybrids.

The sheriff pointed out that county workers do maintenance on the vehicles, saving money.

There are around 63 vehicles in the sheriff’s fleet.

Other inflation issues they are dealing with include the cost of food at the jail and fuel, Wasylyshyn said.

Food is costing an additional $4,000 to $6,000 per month.

Fuel has gone up monthly between $3,000 and $5,000 a month.

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