River Falls will soon have one new police car.

The town council, in a special-called meeting Tuesday night, OK’d the $30,000 purchase.

The council discussed purchasing two cars, as requested by Police Chief Cody Warren.

The town currently has a Crown Victoria Police Interceptor that has approximately 88,000 miles on it, and a Ford Explorer the town acquired last year after its Chevrolet Tahoe was totaled in an accident. The Explorer has 21,000 miles on it.

The council was supposed to get a better deal per car with the purchase of two vehicles; however, Councilman Richard Bowden said he didn’t think he could agree to purchasing two cars not knowing what the revenue would be from the police department this year.

Mayor Patricia Gunter said the idea was to let Officer Kyle Adams use the Ford Explorer because he has the town’s K9.

Then, purchase a second vehicle to be assigned to the police chief, and let the part-time officers use the second new car.

Using that scenario the town would declare the Crown Victoria surplus.

“I have a hard time supporting two vehicles at one time,” Bowden said. “I definitely support one. I think we should keep the Crown Victoria and invest $800 in it and fix it for the part-time officers. I cannot support it not knowing what our revenues are going to be.”

Councilman Harold Barnes said he didn’t like the idea of part-time guys using a new vehicle.

Barnes said that most cities are getting rid of their vehicles around the mileage the Crown Victoria has on it, but said that he would agree to possibly holding off and selling it in six months.

“$60,000 is hard to lay out right now,” Bowden said. “And $30,000 is not pocket change.”

The council ultimately agreed to keep the Crown Victoria and repair it, and purchase one vehicle.

They are financing it for 48 months through Bancorp South.

Barnes said the town needed to get into a rotation where they are replacing their vehicles every four years.