Cape Girardeau County commissioner's truck request on county agenda

Cape Girardeau County commissioners will continue a discussion today on whether to replace the 1st District commissioner's county vehicle.

The conversation started Monday when 1st District Commissioner Larry Bock announced he'd made inquiries about replacing his 1996 Jeep Cherokee. Bock said he learned that by combining the state bid program with a dealer discount, the county could buy a two-seat, four-door half-ton 2008 Ford pickup truck worth $32,000 for $23,566.

Bock, whose term ends in December, said he'd expect the money to pay for the truck to come from the current budget.

Second District Commissioner Jay Purcell balked at making the decision this year and questioned whether commissioners should even get county vehicles.

"It's very possible we could have two new commissioners. It's certain that we're going to have one new commissioner," he said. "Unless your vehicle is just so totally kaput -- then I'd suggest we look at a short-term" solution.

Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones offered a different perspective.

"If we wait for a new commissioner to do that -- and we all know that Jeep is shot -- then immediately everybody's on that. Not everybody, but the general public's on that new commissioner about, 'Well, he didn't even get in there and bought a new truck.'"

Jones said he wasn't opposed to replacing the Jeep before the year's end.

"I know we can take a state bid, but would a local dealer be willing to provide us with the exact same deal for the same price?" Jones said.

He asked for highway administrator Scott Bechtold to produce a cost analysis at today's meeting.

Bock's term ends this year. The two men competing to replace him, Republican Paul Koeper and Democrat Marvin McMillan, had slightly different opinions about the proposed purchase.

Koeper said the commissioners were more familiar with the county's needs and that the next commissioner would have to accept whatever vehicle was passed along.

"If the next commissioner wants a Cadillac, it doesn't mean he's going to get a Cadillac," Koeper said.

McMillan said he wasn't aware the commissioner's job included a vehicle, adding that it might be more appropriate to wait until after the election to make that decision.

"With this economy thing, the unemployment rates, we may have to decide that we don't want to do that," he said.

Bechtold will provide his cost analysis to the commissioners at 9:15 a.m. today. He said Wednesday he was evaluating both 2008 and 2009 trucks, up to three-quarter-ton models.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127

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