by James McEvoy, Managing Editor
ALLENTOWN — The Allentown Borough Council unanimously approved the purchase of a new police vehicle.
The purchase of 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe sports utility vehicle through a state contract for $35,972.27 was authorized at the April 9 council meeting.
Mayor Stuart Fierstein said the purchase was needed for to replace a 2003 police vehicle.
”We have a 2003 vehicle that in the past two years has needed more attention on the garage floor than on the streets of Allentown,” Mayor Fierstein said, noting since the new vehicle being purchased is a SUV 4×4 vehicle, it is an approved exclusion to the 2 percent tax levy cap.
The purchase is included in the general budget of the 2013 temporary budget that was formerly introduced March 27 and could be adopted after a public hearing is held May 7.
”We definitely needed to replace the vehicle,” Mayor Fierstein said. “That’s why we seized the opportunity.”
Had the borough not acted when they did, they would not have been able to make a similar purchase until the following year, he added.
He also noted that in the long run maintaining an older vehicle has a detrimental affect on other police cars.
Specifically, he said when a car is in for service, it necessities other police vehicles to be utilized for 16 or 24-hour shifts as opposed to a more typical 8-hour shift, he said.The next Allentown Council meeting is currently scheduled for April 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the borough municipal building located at 8 North Main Street.
