Rick Price

CAMBRIDGE – Dorchester County will join other Maryland jurisdictions with a vehicle management plan, after a 3-2 vote the County Council meeting on Oct. 2. The move follows a Sept. 18 presentation by Anthony Armbruster of Enterprise Fleet Management, at which he explained projected savings to the council members.

Ricky Travers (District 3), Tom Bradshaw (District 5) and Don Satterfield (District 1) were in favor. Rick Price (District 4) and William Nichols (District 2) were opposed.

Under the proposal, the county would enter an open-end lease agreement with Enterprise, in which the company would audit maintenance procedures and costs, and replace vehicles no more than four years after they entered service.

“You’ll have significantly reduced expenses throughout,” Mr. Armbruster said at the previous meeting. Savings could exceed $400,000 in 10 years, he added.

The Sheriff’s Office fleet of 47 vehicles will be something of a test for the plan. If it works well, the county could extend the plan to all its cars and trucks.

The same maintenance and towing facilities will be used. The county is also free to leave the plan at any times.

On Oct. 2, County Manager Jeremy Goldman said, “It’s still my recommendation to move forward with this.”

Mr. Nichols was not convinced.

“This should be reserved for the next budget,” he said. As for projected savings, he said, “I don’t see it.”

Mr. Satterfield said the maintenance and replacement plan would be efficient. “You’re spending less money,” he said.

Mr. Price said, “I too think it should be in the next budget.” While acknowledging that the proposal had not been required to go to bid because Enterprise has a state contract, he said he would have liked to see a published Request for Proposals.