Catoosa purchases new SUV for county manager
Catoosa County officials marginally approved a vehicle purchase for the county manager’s office despite reluctance from two commissioners and criticism from the public.
During the Board of Commissioner’s meeting on Feb. 5, the board awarded an out-of-town bid for the new SUV after multiple residents questioned the purchase in the public appearances portion of the meeting.
Former commissioner Ray Johnson was the first to offer advice.
“I do hope y’all reconsider about this car and really think it through” Johnson said.
Resident Cherise Miller, who also serves on the library’s board of trustees, said the purchase is unnecessary.
“I presume this vehicle is for the county manager since that department is the one requesting it,” Miller said. “To my knowledge, we have never purchased a special vehicle for any other county manager. Why are we doing it now? The county should not be wasting money by purchasing new, expensive vehicles for anyone in our county government. I know that there must be other cars in the county available for the county manager to drive.”
When the vehicle purchase came up on the agenda, Public Works Projects Inspector Jeremy Bryson presented the bid recommendation to the board.
“We had an invitation to bid back in January for a Ford Edge or Explorer,” Bryson said. “The bids were opened on Jan. 31. We received several bids and after everything was evaluated and taken into account, the staff is recommending King Ford from Murphy, North Carolina, for a 2019 Ford Edge in the amount of $41,485.”