Montgomery County Commissioners participate in a Dec. 18, 2025 board meeting. Pictured, from left, is Vice Chairwoman Jamila Winder, Chairman Neil Makhija, Commissioner Tom DiBello, and Chief Operating Officer Lee Soltysiak. (Rachel Ravina – MediaNews Group)
Procuring five vehicles for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office prompted a conversation on spending last week over a more than $200,000 contract.
The $209,661 agreement with Fred Beans Government Sales, of Doylestown, Bucks County, covered the purchase of two 2026 Chevrolet Traverse AWD vehicles, 2026 Dodge Durango AWD vehicles and a 2026 Chrysler Pacifica AWD vehicle.
The vehicles were made available through the state’s cooperative purchasing program, with funds secured with county capital dollars, according to the contract.
“How come we have to have three different types of vehicles?” Abington Township resident Joe Rooney said during the March 19 meeitng, expressing reservations over the six-figure expense.
“Maybe there’s some speciality equipment because it’s a government purchase I don’t know.
We talk a lot about affordability, Rooney said. “We talk about how the county has increased our taxes from 2020 to 2026 by 55 percent … maybe we could buy some slightly used vehicles at about 50 percent of the cost.”
The vehicle purchase contract was included in a six-item package totaling around $1.84 million. Montgomery County Commissioners acknowledged Rooney’s concerns, responding to him directly ahead of the unanimous vote.
“I can’t speak for the specific vehicles. We can look into that, but I know for the DA, a lot of his vehicles are customized for the detectives. So they’re not just off the lot vehicles, but we’ll look into that. Good suggestion,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Jamila Winder.
“The vehicles themselves, we’re getting them off the COSTARS. So we’re actually getting savings already,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello. “We’re not paying lot prices, and … this is part of a multi-year rotational plan as well.”
Another existing contract concerning the ongoing Ridge Pike Improvement Project required another $1.22 million for an “engineering supplement.” While the original contract with the King of Prussia based-Rummel, Klepper and Kahl LLP “provided for preliminary design and engineering services … from Harmon Road to Crescent Avenue in Plymouth and Whitemarsh townships,” the revised agreement offset “additional hours and scope” for the Part 3, or the “final design” phase. Additional work was slated to include engineering, data collection and traffic plans.
Additionally, a roughly $243,116 agreement with the Norristown-based Montgomery County Emergency Service, Inc. covered “older adult protective services” for the next two years.
The agreement secured “qualified and trained staff under the supervision of human services and/or mental health professionals, to assure the consistent provision of Older Adult Protective Services” compliant to state law “during evenings, nights, county observed holidays, late office openings, early office closures, and weekends.”
Funding was secured through a Pennsylvania Aging Services Block Grant. It will take effect on April 1 and continue through Dec. 31, 2028, according to the agreement, which officials said “is a scheduled resolicitation for existing services.” Terms stipulate two additional 1-year extensions, which are contingent upon available funding.
The next Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 9 on the eighth floor of One Montgomery Plaza, 425 Swede St. Those interested in attending the meeting can also do so virtually. Visit montgomerycountypa.gov for more information.
