The City of Cottonwood will begin to systematically replace their aging vehicle fleet using a structured vehicle replacement program over a 3 – 4 year period starting next year. The first phase of the program would involve replacing the Police Department fleet as well as some Parks & Recreation and administrative vehicles. City officials say fleet replacement keeps the fleet with relatively low mileage, low maintenance costs and high resale value. It is anticipated that the savings in fuel and maintenance costs will offset most if not all of the cost of participating in the program. The City currently spends nearly $400,000 on vehicle maintenance and repairs alone. Any savings would be applied to the cost of the program. All proceeds from the sale of the vehicles will go back into the program to continue offsetting the cost of future replacements. Over the initial 3-4 year program cycle, we anticipate retiring and replacing our entire fleet with newer, more efficient vehicles and anticipate saving on fuel and future maintenance costs.
