Ocala Council to Vote on $13.4 Million Fleet and Equipment Replacement

Ocala City Council members face a vote on a $13,378,535 proposal that would replace 85 vehicles and acquire heavy equipment for city departments. The package, scheduled for a regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 3, aims to retire units that have exceeded their useful service life.

Staff presented the plan as a way to reduce maintenance downtime and improve departmental efficiency. The proposal relies on existing cooperative purchasing agreements rather than new competitive solicitations, citing contracts with Sourcewell, the Florida Sheriffs Association, the federal General Services Administration, and Florida State Term Contracts.

Ocala Fire Rescue receives the largest share of the funding, totaling more than $5.5 million. This allocation covers a mid-mount tower ladder truck priced at nearly $2.3 million, a front-line fire engine for $1.12 million, and a heavy rescue vehicle for $1.38 million. The department would also receive a light rescue unit for $434,112, four command and support SUVs for $245,435, and backup emergency generators for Fire Station 2 and Fire Station 4.

The Ocala Police Department would receive over $1 million in fleet upgrades. This includes 10 marked patrol SUVs totaling $593,300, six unmarked SUVs for the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team valued at $373,809, and two John Deere crossover utility vehicles for $49,425. Public Works and other departments account for millions in additional equipment, including $1.2 million for three side-loader garbage trucks and nearly $980,000 for three clam and grapple trucks.

Ocala Electric Utility is scheduled to receive more than $1.7 million in heavy machinery. This category includes a $736,243 hydro excavator, three aerial bucket trucks totaling $816,492, a flatbed utility truck, an excavator, and a front loader. The Water Resources Department would acquire several commercial backup generators totaling over $580,000, alongside crane-equipped service trucks and utility vehicles.

Funding for the purchases is budgeted within the city’s Fleet Capital Improvement Plan through individual departments’ machinery and equipment accounts. The council will consider the measure at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Ocala City Hall, located at 110 SE Watula Avenue.

Recreation and Parks, Ocala Fiber Network, and Ocala International Airport will also receive specific vehicles and tools, including fiber-splicing vans, backup generators, a four-wheel-drive truck, and an electric utility vehicle.