Ellis County adopts vehicle replacement procedures for county fleet

The Ellis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved an update to the county purchasing policy to add a vehicle replacement procedures section intended to guide when county vehicles are reviewed or replaced.

EJ Harbin, the county's director of purchasing, said the policy was developed after research and meetings with departments and vehicle leasing firms. "Our local the goal was to develop a conservative policy, that maximized the life of the vehicle, while balancing the financial return to the county, at the time of auction," Harbin said. The policy would flag vehicles for review based on age or mileage and allow staff to recommend keeping a low‑use vehicle if it remains in good condition.

Commissioners discussed a 125,000‑mile flag as a review threshold and emphasized differences between patrol vehicles and lower‑use trucks. One commissioner noted that regularly used work trucks can often be kept longer if maintained; Harbin said flagged vehicles would be examined during the annual budget process and could be retained at the court's direction. The court moved to add the section and voted to approve item 2.1 without opposition.