The Pendleton City Council will hold a special session July 8, 2025, at city hall to decide whether to approve a five-year lease agreement with Bancorp for eight patrol SUVs and two Ford F-150 trucks or buy them outright. (Yasser Marte/East Orgeonian)

PENDLETON — The Pendleton City Council weighs long-term costs against short-term savings as it considers leasing or purchasing 10 new police vehicles.

The council will meet in a special session Tuesday, July 8, at city hall, 500 SW Dorion Ave., to decide whether to approve a five-year lease agreement with Bancorp for eight patrol sport-utility vehicles and two Ford F-150 pickup or buy them outright.

According to the city staff report, the Pendleton Police Department began exploring leasing options in fiscal year 2025–26 after years of purchasing vehicles. Traditionally, the city buys three new patrol vehicles annually, at a cost of more than $150,000. Outfitting each vehicle adds another $24,000, bringing the total for three vehicles to about $220,000.

“With costs continuing to increase, we decided to look into leasing — something several other agencies have adopted,” according to the staff report.

The city received a quote from Bancorp, a sole-source provider, for a five-year lease of eight patrol SUVs at $138,260.96 per year, including outfitting costs. It also received a quote to lease two Ford F-150 pickups for $23,921.36 annually. The total cost to lease all 10 vehicles is $162,182.32 per year over five years.

The lease would allow the department to run 10 patrol vehicles for its 20 officers, assigning two officers to each vehicle.

This setup is to reduce mileage and wear on the vehicles, helping ensure they last through the lease term, according to the staff report. Two older, but still serviceable, vehicles will be kept in reserve for use as needed. The Ford F-150s will require only minor outfitting, which the police department can cover through its general budget.

At the end of the five-year lease, the city could purchase the vehicles for $1 each. While the SUVs are expected to be near the end of their service life by then, the pickups could remain in service longer.