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Lapeer Fire & Rescue Chief Terry Kluge told commissioners the city avoided an expected $20,000 price increase on the $1.2 million truck by ordering it now instead of after the first of the year.

Lapeer County Commission Chairman Dave Taylor's prediction to the contrary, County Commissioner Lenny Schneider did not object to the plan.

However, he noted commissioners "may have read recently in the paper about the county having a series of meetings on fiscal challenges, dire fiscal challenges, facing all the counties in this state. So, I think it's in that context that anything that has a sticker price of a million dollars, is going to cause sticker shock, which would clearly be one of the issues with some of my commissioners.

Still, said Schneider, whose district includes the city and parts of Elba, Lapeer and Mayfield township, praised Kluge for doing a "fantastic job" of managing equipment and personnel at the department.

He noted the city has been the one municipality in the county that has returned funds to the county. "I recognize the good spirit of that and I think that's gone far with the board of commissioners as well," he said.

Schneider said that while the county commission has a general problem with existing state tax capture legislation, that expense is allowed under current state law and he believes that from a public safety standpoint its needed.

He noted that while it's unlikely that the city would be able to point to any one company that chose to stay in or move to the city based on its having an aerial ladder truck, public safety and education are two key elements of any company's location decision.

Ê"Like I said earlier in several different meetings," said Mayor Bill Sprague, "the hand that's dealt in this county is that obviously we're the major fire department in this county and fortunately, I guess, we're the ones that have the ability to pull this kind of project together in order to offer this type of service to the county."

Paul Boucher, the city's finance director, noted that Lapeer County Bank & Trust gave the city 4% financing on the new truck.

The new truck, which will be built by KME Fire Apparatus in Nesquehoning, Pa., will replace a 32-year-old aerial ladder truck, which is well beyond its originally predicted 20-year service life.

Phil Foley may be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8148 or pfoley@lapeergroup.com