Clay To Try Less Restrictive Fuel Program

The Clay County Commission authorized County Mayor Dale Reagan Monday to move forward with a new contract for fuel for its various departments.

Reagan said the county has historically taken bids for gasoline but each contract required them to use a specific chain of stations. Reagan said they will be using a new fleet card program that will allow them to use many different kinds of stations including all those in Clay County.

“For example, if our ambulance service is having to take a patient out toward Nashville or Knoxville or wherever, sometimes it’s hard to find like a BP or something like that,” Reagan said. “And so this gives them the flexibility to where they can use any station that they run up on and everything.”

Reagan said they will try the system for a year and then decide if they want to keep it or go back to their old process. Commissioner Bryan Coons said the new program will cost $2,500 to $3,100 more than their usual bids.

“We save a little money with a bid, that’s about the only thing,” Coons said. “(It will) give them the flexibility of buying it wherever they wanted to but it’ll be a little more money.”

Reagan said the state has a pre-existing agreement to use the Wex Sourcewell Government Fleet Card Program that currently excludes local governments.

“Now they went back and they’re putting that in there,” Reagan said. “And so since we’re a part of Sourcewell and this is a Sourcewell group we can go ahead and do this.”

Sheriff Brandon Boone said the commission may have to pass a resolution adjusting their agreement to get a better deal once the state amends its contract to include local municipalities.

“I sort of like the idea of it,” Boone said. “Just being about to share the fuel and fueling up at any gas station in Clay County instead of just going to one.”

Reagan said he spoke with the mayor of Macon County about the system and was told they have used it for a while without issue.