Road superintendent warns of grader shortages, proposes options

Scott, the road superintendent, updated the fiscal court on grader procurement challenges. He said large graders in the county’s typical size have long lead times and high prices — he quoted figures in the $350,000–$400,000 range for a new unit — and suggested the court consider a smaller grader that would be less expensive and more readily available.

Scott told the court he had a bid from Boyd Cat for a machine priced in the low $200,000s for a smaller unit and said lease options are generally unattractive because of low residual values that make lease payments high. He recommended researching Sourcewell membership, which some neighboring counties use to obtain discounted pricing through cooperative purchasing, and volunteered to talk with other county judges and road departments to identify procurement options.

The court asked Scott to gather additional details on Sourcewell membership and lead times before returning with a recommendation.