NLR police to order SUVs early

Tahoe’s ’21 redesign makes ’20 models better deal, city told

Twelve new Chevrolet Tahoes will be ordered for the North Little Rock Police Department ahead of next year’s budget preparation because a redesigning of the Tahoe is pushing production of those vehicles to the 2021 model year, police officials said Tuesday.

Legislation to waive formal bidding will go before the City Council on Monday to approve the purchase of the 12 Tahoe SUVs for $384,156, plus tax, from Bale Chevrolet in Little Rock. The 2020 Tahoes cost $32,013 each, according to the legislation.

General Motors is redesigning and re-engineering the Tahoe to introduce an allnew, fifth-generation model that initially was expected for the 2020 model year, but has been delayed until the 2021 model year.

Chevrolet will cease manufacturing of its Tahoe model until 2021 and no longer take orders for the 2020 model beginning later this month, according to the legislation.

“We found out the Tahoes would not be in production for next year,” Police Chief Mike Davis said Tuesday. “It’s being retooled, and we know the price will be different as well.

“The possibility came up that we could order them now and get in next year’s Tahoes,” Davis said. “If we don’t do it, we’d have to go to the next option, which would be a couple of thousand dollars more [each] so it would cost us more in the long run.”

The Police Department has 40-50 Tahoes it purchased between 2012 and this budget year, with one year having purchased Ford Explorers instead, Assistant Police Chief Tracy Roulston said.

“We were informed by the Chevrolet dealership that they are changing the design of the Tahoe,” Roulston said. “They would not be available until 2021 when the new ones come out. So they would not be on the state bid list next year.”

The reliability and the performance of the Tahoe for the department is a reason to go ahead and buy those vehicles now instead of choosing an alternative vehicle early next year, Davis said. The department includes new vehicles in its annual budget that begins at the first of every year. The department’s 2019 budget is $23.1 million.

“The Tahoes have been the most reliable vehicles we’ve had,” Davis said. “They’re a lot more durable.

“Our vehicle maintenance numbers have decreased greatly,” Davis said. “Usually our maintenance of vehicles is just crazy, but we’re only at 25% of budget this year. We want to keep that going if we can.”

Vehicle maintenance and gasoline and oil costs are included in the department’s overall $2.25 million maintenance and operations portion of its budget that also includes vehicle and building insurance and supplies.