The Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors is looking to purchase some new equipment for its road department.

In a meeting Tuesday, the board approved requests from Road Manager Rush Mayatt to take bids for 15-foot bush hogs, 100 horsepower and up tractors, three-quarter ton crew cab pickups and mini excavators.

Mayatt said his department budgeted for the equipment and already has the funds set aside for the purchases.

Supervisor Josh Todd asked whether the equipment would be bought through a lease purchase or paid for outright. In the past, he said, the county has used lease purchases to save money either through paying out the lease sooner or by using a buy-back program.

Todd said he does not have a preference on how the purchases are made and just wants to be sure all options are explored.

County Administrator Chris Lafferty said changes to the state’s lease purchasing laws have made going that route a bit more difficult than it has been in the past. The county, however, could choose to go that route once the bids are received if that is the least expensive route.

“The state’s lease purchasing laws aren’t as friendly as they were four, five years ago,” he said.

Another factor to consider is lead times, Mayatt said. The county has been plagued by long lead times on vehicles and equipment for more than a year as supply chains struggle to recover from the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Mayatt said how long it will take to get the equipment will also need to be factored into the county’s decision.

Traffic Safety

In other business, the board of supervisors approved paying a $752,894.35 invoice from Traffic Control Products for striping, signage and reflectors on various county roads.

Mayatt said the work was done as part of a grant program through the Mississippi Department of Transportation to improve safety on county roads.

The board also authorized county staff to move $755,000 from the general fund to the MDOT Traffic Safety Grant fund to cover the bill. Lafferty said the advance was fairly standard practice as many grants reimburse the county but do not provide up-front funds.

The advanced funds will be reimbursed to the general fund once the grant money is received.