County Public Works adds truck to fleet, but no debt

Under the management of Walker County Commissioner Shannon Whitfield, a lot of positive financial benefits are occurring.

For instance, during the July 25 commissioner’s meeting at the Annex building downtown, the Public Works Department were given the green light to make a needed purchase of a used item, which the county was able to pay for in cash, incurring no new debt for Walker.

The 2015 Ford F-250 XL 4x4 pick-up is a four-wheel drive, which the county is purchasing used from Truck Country, LLC in Fort Oglethorpe.

According to the commissioner, “This is formerly a federal government truck, a GSA truck that was very well maintained, in very good condition.”

The commissioner has repeatedly said that the county “needs four wheel trucks with four doors in our fleet to move heavy equipment and move personnel around.”

This vehicle will be outfitted with snow plow equipment, according to the commissioner, “so we will have more trucks clearing the roads of snow. And, if the drivers come across someone stranded on the side of the road, they will have more room to give them a ride (since the truck has four doors and greater seating capacity than a smaller two-door truck).”

The purchase order price quoted during the July meeting was $24,700.

This is the second major vehicle fleet purchase recently for the Public Works Department.

Joe Legge Commissioner Shannon Whitfield touts the extra seating space in this additional truck placed into the public works department fleet, which he says could come in handy if motorists are stranded on the roads during wintry weather and snowstorms.