City might use $227K from contingency to buy vehicles

City officials are considering buying seven new vehicles using $227,000 from the contingency fund in the current year’s budget, rather than borrowing the money and paying interest on it in the future.

The Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee on Wednesday moved forward a resolution authorizing the city to buy the vehicles with contingency money. If approved by the full council next month, the city will purchase four Ford Escape police vehicles for a total of $120,000, a Ford pickup with a lift gate for the city Comptroller’s Office for $32,000, and three electric vehicles for the Building and Safety Division for $75,000.

Mayor Steve Noble told the committee the vehicle needs were identified as part of the development of the 2018 city budget. He said the Kingston Police Department planned to buy four new patrol vehicles next year anyway and the Building Department has an aging fleet. Noble said the Comptroller’s Office needs the pickup for its parking enforcement employees.

The four old patrol vehicles being replaced in the police department fleet would go to other departments for further use, Noble said.

In response to questions from committee members, Noble said the police chief did not tell the council his department needed new vehicles in the 2018 budget because he expected them to be purchased from the 2017 contingency fund. He also said the Building Department has eight vehicles, all of which are from the 1990s. The city can replace some of those vehicles with old police cars, but it still needs new ones, Noble said.

City Comptroller John Tuey said there is $417,000 in the contingency fund in the 2017 budget.