After a discussion at last evening's meeting, Mahoning Township supervisors voted on a pair of motions to purchase a new police car from Kovatch Motor Enterprises and scrap the old car it will replace. Both motions passed unanimously after a short discussion.

Officer in Charge Audie Mertz said, "I received five quotes for cars, and Kovatch's was the cheapest by $2,000 as well as offer deferred financing so we wouldn't have to make a payment for a year." Mertz said the price also included striping which was not included in the other cars. He added that if the striping was removed from the price the margin was even greater. He told the board the deferred payments divided over three years would amount to an annual payment of $11,990.60.Chairperson John Wieczorek said, "I was hoping we could defer financing until April or May 2014 so that we would already have begun collecting next year's receipts (taxes)." Mertz said he wasn't sure if the year would begin from the date the sales agreement was signed or if it would be a year from the delivery date. Later in the discussion after reviewing the paperwork, he said the contract said the year began upon the closing date. Mertz said the car would not be delivered for three or four weeks from the closing date and pointed out the quotation was good until March 6th.Wieczorek observed that if the sale was agreed by then, the car could be delivered in the beginning of April. He moved to purchase the car from Kovatch's for $33,092.89 and accept the three year deferred lease. Supervisor Linda Benner seconded the motion which passed 5-0.After the purchase was decided, Wieczorek noted that this would finally put the police department's vehicles on a two year replacement schedule. He then inquired of the board about their thoughts on the disposition of the 2006 vehicle that was being replaced specifically whether it should be sold or scrapped.Mertz said the car probably had its original transmission and motor and probably had in excess of 300,000 miles. Supervisor Frank Ruch asked whether the car should be scrapped or sold, but Mertz commented that it might be better off scrapped since it would save the township the money required for advertising and administrative costs which would end up reducing the amount of money a sale would produce anyway.Secretary-Treasurer Natalie Haggerty questioned whether the township could scrap a taxpayer purchased asset. Solicitor Tom Nanovic answered if the car had no appreciable value then it could be sold for scrap without a problem. Ruch and Wieczorek moved to sell the police car for scrap but before the vote, Supervisor Bruce Steigerwalt asked where it would be sold as there were two possible places in the township. The board directed Mertz to find the best price for the vehicle and to take it to that business. With that decided, the board voted 5-0 to scrap the police car for the best price.