Roanoke Rapids City Council Tuesday night opted to go with an installment financing package to buy five police-ready Dodge Durangos and a Ford F-150 for the fire department.

The motions to go with the $190,000 installment financing proposal included reversing a previous motion to take the money from fund balance, one to approve and execute the agreement with First Citizens Bank and another to amend the current fiscal year budget for the installment financing. Each motion passed unanimously.

The city will purchase the vehicles from White Motors in Roanoke Rapids.

City Finance Director Leigh Etheridge said the term of the financing through First Citizens is at 2.47 percent interest for a five-year period. 

Police Chief Bobby Martin said following the meeting the Dodge Durangos come with the police pursuit package.

Fire Chief Jason Patrick has said the F-150 will serve as the battalion chief’s new vehicle and will also be used to carry equipment used after fires to the station for cleaning before putting it back on the fire trucks. 

The process is part of the fire department’s cancer awareness and prevention initiative.

In other matters Tuesday council:

Approved a resolution authorizing the sale of the former fire station 2 at 1620 Hamilton Street through a sealed bid process.

“If we continue to hold on to the building there’s going to expenses,” Mayor Emery Doughtie said.

Was told by City Manager Joseph Scherer the city will receive $4.19 million from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. More than $19 billion of the federal aid package has been designated for non-county municipalities with a population less than 50,000.

City council requested a list of how the funds will be allocated.

Scherer said the COVID-19 relief money is expected to be received between now and through the end of 2024.