Litchfield Buys Two Police SUVs for $109,352 Through State Bid Program

Litchfield City Council Meeting | July 16, 2026

Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council approved purchasing two 2025 Ford Police Interceptor AWD SUVs from Morrow Brothers Ford for an amount not to exceed $109,352, with council discussion focusing on why the city didn’t buy from a local dealer.

Police Vehicle Purchase Key Points:

• The two replacement administrative squad cars cost $54,676 each at the Illinois Government Price, fully outfitted and ready for service.
• The purchases are budgeted items for the 2027 fiscal year, replacing administration and investigations vehicles “not in the best condition.”
• The vehicles come turnkey through the state bid — lights, radios and equipment installed — unlike prior local purchases.
• Officials said local dealers have been encouraged to enroll in a municipal purchasing program to compete for future city purchases.

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, July 16, 2026, approved the purchase of two 2025 Ford Police Interceptor AWD SUVs from Morrow Brothers Ford for an amount not to exceed $109,352 — $54,676 per vehicle at the Illinois Government Price.

According to the packet, the police department needs two replacement administrative squad cars, as the current administration and investigations vehicles “are not in the best condition.” The purchases are budgeted for the 2027 fiscal year, and the price includes both vehicles completely outfitted and ready for service. A June 25 quote from the dealership’s government sales department, under ISA Contract #2025-1001, lists white Interceptor Utility AWD units with 3.3L V6 engines, police upgrade packages and professional installation of ordered equipment; an equipment sheet details Whelen emergency lighting, a 100-watt siren speaker, four-corner LED warning and a wig-wag headlight system. The dealership’s letterhead lists its address in Greenfield (the meeting audio rendered the town differently — see Editorial Flags).

Alderperson Josh Hughes made the motion, seconded by Alderperson Bob Garcia. Discussion centered on procurement. A council member raised a concern about buying from a dealer without local pricing. The city administrator explained municipalities can buy vehicles several ways — a formal RFP, a municipal cooperative purchasing program, or the state bid — and the city used the state bid here because the vehicles come already outfitted for policing.

The police chief said the state-bid dealer has become “pretty much a one-stop shop,” and that unlike the department’s last locally purchased vehicles, “these cars are turnkey. They’ve got the lights… they put the radios in, everything.” He said he had purchased roughly 20 cars from the dealership in a previous chief’s role in another community.

Mayor Jacob Fleming said the city wants to support local businesses and be fair to taxpayers, and that staff have asked local dealers to sign up for the cooperative purchasing program to make it easier for the city to buy locally when possible. “We want to keep money in town,” he said. Asked what happens to the vehicles being replaced, staff said one will become the public works director’s vehicle at least for an interim period, one is a detective’s vehicle, and one will be kept short-term as a utility vehicle. The motion passed unanimously on roll call.