Commissioners push vote on 20 new SUVs for Lake sheriff

A bid for 20 new sports utility vehicles for the Lake County Sheriff’s Department was taken under advisement with no discussion Wednesday by the Lake County Board of Commissioners upon opening.

Bozak Ford of Merrillville was the lone bidder to supply the sheriff’s department with the SUVs. In the bid, Bozak said it could supply 20 new 2021 Ford Interceptor SUVs for $35,624 per unit or $712,480.

Commissioners also took under advisement the two bids received to put the sheriff ’s department logos on the vehicles. Carstar Liss Autobody & Auto Collision Repair in Crown Point for $2,650 per unit or $53,000 for all 20 vehicles. Lowell Autobody in Lowell submitted a bid of $6,514 per vehicle for a total of $130,298.

Sheriff’s department capital purchases have been a bone of contention for commissioners, prompting the Lake County Council to attempt legislation that would wrest control of purchases from the commissioners.

The council and commissioners are currently in the midst of a lawsuit to determine of the current veto and override structures – allowing the commissioners to veto a council action and allowing the council to override the veto – are still valid under state law.

At issue is nine sheriff ’s department purchases tabled since November, prompting the council to side with the sheriff in finding a way to approve the purchases.

The lawsuit stems from recent council action to transfer authority over purchasing and data processing from the commissioners to the council. The commissioners ultimately vetoed both resolutions to transfer authority and the council voted to override the vetoes.

Council attorney Ray Szarmach has said he filed the lawsuit to determine if those steps should have been taken. In 2019, the state legislature removed a statute that addressed veto and override procedures, he said.

In another measure Tuesday, commissioners fast-tracked approval of a contract for work to the Lake County Jail’s showers. The county received three bids for the work. The Pangere Corp., of Gary bid $64,300, Gariup Construction of Gary $76,700 and Larson-Danielson Construction of LaPorte at $64,244.

Commissioner Jerry Tippy, R-2nd, as for clarification on local preference prior to awarding the contract.

“Bidders one and three are $56 apart. We need to know whether or not we have to take local preference into consideration,” Tippy said. Larson-Danielson is located in LaPorte County while Pangere is located in Lake County.

Mathew Fech, commissioners’ attorney, confirmed a 3% local preference is applied to purchases less than $100,000, giving the advantage to Pangere.