Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Kosciusko County Commissioners gave approval Tuesday for the sheriff’s office to purchase two replacement vehicles this year and two new ones in 2026.
Lt. Mike Mulligan asked the commissioners for approval to use some leftover 2025 budgeted funds to purchase the two replacement Ford Explorers. He said he called around to numerous dealerships in and out of the county to try to find replacements that fit the KCSO fleet, but the closest he could find was at Andy Mohr Ford in Plainfield.
Mohr has two black Explorers, like the KCSO purchased earlier in the year from Kerlin, on his lot that are available for purchase now, Mulligan said. Those are $47,912.20 each. The 2025 vehicles will replace a couple that the sheriff’s office lost throughout the year.
After the commissions approved the purchase of those, Sheriff Jim Smith said his office needs to get the ordering taken care of now for the purchase of Tahoes in 2026. Funds for the vehicles are in the 2026 budget.
Mulligan said he was contacted by Kelley Chevrolet, Fort Wayne, where the sheriff’s office has purchased vehicles in the last couple years. He was advised if they wanted to “get ahead of the curve” on purchasing vehicles and not have to wait until September 2026 for them to arrive, “we need to get the order in sooner rather than later.
“That being said, I contacted John Jones who last year also dealt with the Chevy Tahoes. He advised me that GM has not given them any allotment for the Tahoes this year, that Kelley Chevrolet has everything in the state of Indiana, northern half of Indiana. Therefore, I don’t have any other bids on that for you because I can’t get any,” Mulligan said.
The two Tahoes from Kelley cost $54,557 each and will be purchased in 2026, but the order will be put in now.
Commissioner Cary Groninger asked how much of an increase that was compared to the vehicles that were purchased last year. Mulligan estimated about $2,000 more per vehicle.
In other business, the commissioners approved:
• Accepting all the annual bids for 2026 for the Kosciusko County Highway Department that were opened at the commissioners’ last meeting, as requested by Superintendent Steve Moriarty.
He also requested, and the commissioners approved, a 10-year contract with USI Consultants for approximately $215,000 for small structure inspections.
“They do it every 10 years and it’s been almost 29 years that they’ve been doing it already, and this would continue to use their services and for them to inspect each small structure in the county,” Moriarty said.
Small structures range from 19 feet down to 36 inches.
• A contract with Kone for $54,492.59 for a comprehensive replacement of parts for the elevator at the dock of the Justice Building, as requested by County Administrator Marsha McSherry.
She said they have been having a lot of issues with the elevator, such as the doors stick or fall off the track.
During the repair work, the elevator will be down for approximately a week.
• Two quotes from Core Mechanical to replace unit heaters at the Kosciusko County Highway Department garage, as requested by McSherry.
“They’re already in the process of having unit heaters replaced due to cracked heat exchangers,” she said, with units 15 and 17 both having cracked heat exchangers.
The two contracts are for $6,002.70 each.
• Paying Niblock $3,465 for adding back barricades to the Chinworth Bridge Trail after they were taken out; $96,408.45 for the final payment for work by Niblock on the trail; and $11,625 for the final payment to VS Engineering for work on the trail, as requested by Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation Board President Rob Bishop.
The next commissioners meeting is at 9 a.m. Dec. 16 in the old courtroom of the county courthouse.
