City Could Replace Majority Of Vehicles Through New Program

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — The city is considering using its government-owned vehicles for shorter periods of time in order to sell them later through a plan by Enterprise Leasing, according to officials at a recent city council meeting.

During the virtual meeting, board members heard a presentation from the group which proposed the city lease its vehicles instead of purchasing them outright. By owning the vehicles for a shorter amount of time, four years instead of the average 11, the city could save money by getting better gas mileage from the newer cars and possibly make more money by selling them while they are in better shape.

Chicago Heights Mayor David Gonzalez told Patch the city's current fleet of 87 cars, firetrucks and police vehicles is aged and usually stays in the city's care for years and sees many different departments before they are eventually sold for much cheaper.

For safety vehicles specifically, Enterprise officials told the council, newer cars could mean updated safety features such as better air bags and back-up cameras that could decrease city workers' likelihood of getting into traffic crashes.

While officials are considering adopting Enterprise's plan and mechanics, Gonzalez said the transition would take place all at once. Enterprise estimates they will want to replace 37 city vehicles in 2022 and 18 in 2023.