Republic City Council signs on for new $387k fire rescue truck

Ask and ye shall receive. Republic Fire Chief Duane Compton requested a hefty purchase be made by the Republic City Council for his department. The ask was for a brand new rescue truck at a cost of $387,815. The truck will start life as a 2021International HV607, and will be equipped with a decked out responder body, by Maintainer Custom Bodies.
The truck it’s replacing is a long-in-the-tooth 1991 Ford L8000, that will be traded in for a scant $7,000.
The bid by Maintainer Custom Bodies was the lowest of five received; the highest came from McQueen Emergency Group at $492,684.66.
The money for the impressive rig will come from fire sales tax. The 2019 budget allowed for its down payment of $244,350. The remaining $143,465 will be financed with a short term tax-exempt lease purchase.  
The purchase was supported by the board 6-0, in the absence of council members Brandon Self and Charlie Brashers.
It was also announced that Republic City Hall was the unfortunate recipient of a lightning strike during a storm last week. The strike laid waste to 10 telephones, computers, the telephone system, the video system and multiple new commercial grade surge protectors that couldn’t stop the high powered charge. The cost to replace all of the lost electronics is estimated to be from $5,000-$10,000.
In other action, the board voted 6-0, to accept new property tax levies as recommended by the Missouri State Auditor’s office. As the adjusted assessed valuations increased 9-percent for Republic, the city is required to lower the levies—to not benefit, as per law—setting the new rate at $.5863.