City to auction surplus goods, even fire truck
Published 12:00 am Friday, February 2, 2001
Jeffrey Fisher, left, Perry Jones, middle, and Shane Dixon, unload computer equipment at the Vicksburg Convention Center as Billie Pearce of Durham Auctions looks on while preparing for Saturday’s city surplus auction. (The Vicksburg Post/PAT SHANNAHAN)
[02/02/01] The City of Vicksburg will auction off 40 vehicles from police cars to a fire department ladder truck Saturday at the Vicksburg Convention Center.
And, as if to add interest to the widely advertised sale, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen met Thursday to add about 20 items to the nearly 600 that will be sold to the highest bidders this weekend. The sale will be open to the public.
“People can come around 8 a.m., to kick the tires and crank the engines,” said Tim Smith, administrative assistant with the city. Bidding starts at 10.
Most of the vehicles being sold are older models including a 1981 fire truck complete with a 75-foot ladder. Other vehicles include 16 Ford Crown Victorias and Chevrolet Caprices, commonly used as police cars.
The vehicles are being sold because of age or because they are no longer used by the city, Smith said.
Other items in the auction will include vacuum cleaners, grass trimmers, water meters, firefighter gas masks and fire protection uniforms. Vicksburg Fire Chief Kevin Westbrook said the fire protection uniforms, commonly known as “turnouts,” and helmets are being sold because the city purchased new ones for all 117 members of the department.
“Now we’re up to par as far as safety,” Westbrook said.
The city spent about $70,000 for new turnouts that replaced many with holes in them.
All of the items in the auction have been declared surplus by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and have been removed form the city’s inventory.
South Ward Alderman Sam Habeeb said that since the inventory department has come under new leadership in the past year there has been improvement in how the city keeps up with property.
“It’s in better condition,” Habeeb said. But, “it’s not where it needs to be yet.”
The money generated in the auction will go to the city’s general fund.
“Whatever monies we get, we’ll be satisfied with,” Smith said, but added that they hope to get about $200,000 from the sale.
Bidders will need to register with the auction company, Durham Auctions Inc., of Petal before the sale, Smith said. Auction firms are usually paid a percentage of the take.
Terms of the sale are cash only.