City approves purchase of 10 police vehicles, comes in under budget at $742,678

The City of West Melbourne approved the purchase of 10 police vehicles and associated equipment on Oct. 21, 2025, authorizing a package of patrol and specialty vehicles at a total estimated cost of $742,678.65, the police chief said. The council vote was 7-0.

Chief Vesta presented the request, saying the package would replace seven Ford Interceptor patrol vehicles, one traffic-unit vehicle, one unmarked criminal investigations vehicle and one vehicle to replace a leased unit used by the Special Investigations Unit. He said the city budgeted $810,000 for the purchases and is forecast to come in under budget by reusing serviceable radios and radar units.

Councilmember Adams moved to authorize purchase of the ten vehicles and equipment; Councilmember Bentley seconded. Adams asked why vehicles from 2018–2019 were being replaced; Chief Vesta described decisions based on mileage, engine hours and maintenance history and said failures such as transmissions and air-conditioning issues factored into replacement timing. He said the department balances preventive maintenance against replacement costs and consults closely with the city garage.

Chief Vesta explained the city is phasing out leasing because leasing costs have risen: “a monthly lease on ... a vehicle is approaching the 700 $750 range,” and staff concluded purchasing is now more financially responsible. The chief also said the department saved money by reusing in‑car radio systems—new P25 in‑car radios are roughly $7,000 each—and prioritizing new radios for patrol cars that respond to calls most often. He estimated the portable radios should last roughly five to seven more years and in‑car radios three to five years, subject to component availability.

The motion passed 7-0. Staff said replaced vehicles will be sold or moved into other municipal uses where appropriate and that purchases will be executed with multiple vendors listed in the procurement packet.