To the Editor:
Will Marion Selectmen and Town Employee’s Be Driving BMW’s?
If the Marion Energy Management Committee (EMC) gets its way, Marion Town employees and Selectmen may well be driving BMW i3’s with an MSRP of $43,895. This is based on handout materials distributed to Selectmen at the December 1, 2015 meeting. The three target cars would be assigned to DPW, Health, and Recreation. The new cars would replace the old police car ”hand me downs” that have been paid for long ago, retired and recycled to utility vehicle use for these Town departments. The only cost for the Town to continue operating these cars is gas and auto store and Town bone yard parts for repairs by talented Town employees who know how to keep aging vehicles on the road.
If the EMC’s proposed program for replacing fully deprecated but usable cars were adopted, Marion would be acquiring the use of three brand new cars with an asset book value of $131,685. This is a foolish and wasteful use of scarce taxpayer resources.
At the Board of Selectmen’s meeting, the EMC represented the cars would save the Town $30,000. I guess I must live in OZ and not in Marion to believe the nonsensical statements from a group devoid of economic reality with respect to stringent small town municipal budgets. With the Town exercising the option of buying the cars at the end of the lease, the total cash expenditure (lease costs paid and option excise) would be approximately $35,700 per car or $106,500 for the three new utility cars. This is the net cost of federal and state incentives. This comparative cost data is available on the web.
Next, the EMC will claim how fuel efficient the new cars will be saving the Town a lot of money. This is not factually correct. The Town needs to purchase and install charging stations which can run from $10,000 to $50,000 for a high-end, quick-charge station.
Massachusetts electricity costs are among the highest in the nation. Gasoline prices have decreased dramatically. Marion gas costs are under $1.50 per gallon since Marion does not pay the state and federal gas excise tax. Given the MPG of the recycled cars, the fuel differential is approximately $18 to $20 per 1,000 miles driven.
Look for Selectman and Recreation Director Dickerson commuting between the Town’s ball fields in his new Town $43,855 MSRP BMW i3 or equivalent. Looks like this has the potential of becoming a Selectman’s perquisite he votes for.
Hanson and Carver have bylaws to precluded town employee from serving as selectmen. A town bylaw policy “You can be one or the other but not both” contains a lot of wisdom.
Ted North, Marion
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