Hagerstown Police Chief Keith Folkner’s proposal for new vehicles was approved at a special council meeting on Aug. 21. Council member Brian Longbons was pro tem in President Allan Bullock’s absence.
Folkner reported his current fleet required constant repairs and he lost a truck in the flood. Fort Wayne vendor Kelly Chevrolet offered four Tahoes at $62,515 each, which meets Folkner’s 2027 $65,000 car budget. After some research, he connected with Wabash’s Crossroads Bank that offers a lease-to-purchase program for municipalities. The town could finance four new Tahoes across a four-or-five-year period with two semiannual payments each.
Folkner recommended the five-year plan at $56,980 per year, or two payments of $28,490. A four-year plan amounted to $69,483 per year, with two payments of $34,742. After some discussion, the council approved the four-year plan, knowing funds from some vehicle sales could cover the extra costs. Moving forward, Folkner can budget $69,000 for the additional three vehicles.
The first semiannual payment is due six months after the agreement is finalized. Folkner aims to have an agreement next month, with a first payment due in March.
In other business, the council approved a 3.3% increase for employee’s contribution to medical insurance matching a rate increase.
Council member Chris Blaase will join the Hagerstown Library Steering Committee, and Longbons will need a successor on the Eastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission after his departure in 2027.
Clerk Treasurer Julie Neal reported flood assessments documented 15 properties with major damage, 13 with minor and 67 affected.
At an Aug. 17 work session, council reviewed flood damage assessments from the following departments: parks tallied $2,000 for the EAA Park; at least $25,000 for the wastewater treatment plant building; police suffered a truck loss at $16,000; and fire totaled $8,500 for truck repairs.
The council approved to waive utility penalties for billings and shut offs for August.
This story was completed in part with minutes from the Hagerstown Council’s Aug. 17 meeting.
A version of this article appeared in the August 26 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
