MEDORA

The Medora Police Department’s sole reserve police car needs a new transmission.

During a recent Medora Town Council meeting, Town Marshal Mark Stargell shared a quote he received to complete that work on the 2007 Chevrolet Impala. It came in at $1,742 from 710 Transmission LLC of Seymour.

He also told the council leasing a new police vehicle would cost about $10,000 a year for three or four years, and the town would pay $1 to own it at the end of the lease.

Leases generally are broken down into quarterly payments, town attorney Matt Lorenzo said.

“(The dealership) said they would break them down any way they needed to be,” Stargell said.

Town employee Steve Ingle said when he was town marshal, he received the Impala for free. The department’s only other vehicle is a Dodge Durango.

“If you lease a car, then you can put your Durango in as a reserve,” Ingle said.

He said the town could put the Impala out on auction, but he didn’t think it would generate much money.

“The most we ever got out of one was many years ago, I think it was like $900,” Ingle said. “Most of them, when you put them to sealed bids, usually bring in $300 or $400.”

Councilman Jim Davers said the police department needs to have two dependable vehicles.

“It’s something we need to start thinking about,” he said of considering leasing a vehicle.

Council President Jerry Ault and Stargell agreed.

“You’ve got to have two cars any way you cut it,” Stargell said.

The council didn’t take any action on the vehicle but said it would consider the best option and discuss the matter during future meetings.