After learning that the city “has the money,” the Brundidge City Council voted to purchase two new Dodge Chargers for the city’s police department.

Brundidge Police Chief Moses Davenport made the request for the vehicles and said his ask was out of need.

“We’re not asking for the cars because we want them,” Davenport said. “We’re asking because we need them. The newest car that the department has is a 2010 and some of cars are as old as 2003 and 2004.”

Davenport said the Dodge Chargers are smaller than the Crown Victoria vehicles that the Brundidge Police Department has purchased in the past.

Britt Thomas, city manager, said the Dodge Chargers are the only police vehicles available at this time.

“Because the Dodge Chargers are smaller than the Crown Victorias that we will declare surplus, we will not be able salvage accessory equipment in the old cars for use in the new cars,” Thomas said. “These Dodge Chargers will be bought off the state bid list and will come with all the accessory equipment that we need, including computers.”

The Dodge Chargers cost $28,021 each, which is more than the city usually spends on new vehicles for the police department. But the cost is due to the cars coming fully equipped, Thomas said.

“We have the money,” he said. “We will just need to amend the budget to include the vehicles for the police department.”

Also at this week’s council meeting, members voted to move the location for municipal elections from the auction building on North Main Street to Brundidge Station, effective after the 2012 city elections.

The action will be pending approval by the Justice Department.

The council approved Thomas as the manager of the upcoming city election. That position is usually filled by the mayor, but since Mayor Jimmy Ramage is a candidate for re-election, someone else must fill the position.

Thomas said the city must approve election officers for the Aug. 28 election in time for them to attend the school, which is required. That will be an agenda item for the July 17 meeting

Tori Teague, director of the city Summer Youth Program, gave an overview of the summer program to date. She said that 80 young people K-6 are enrolled but not all of them attend on a daily basis.

The participants receive tutoring in math and reading and participate in a variety of games and other activities.

“We will have Parents Day on July 20 and parents will be invited to come and see what the program is all about and what their children have accomplished,” Teague said.

The Brundidge City Council meets at 4 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at Brundidge City Hall. The meetings are open to the public.