LONGVIEW, TEXAS – The City of Longview recently entered into a $955,000 lease agreement for six sanitation trucks, according to The News-Journal. Sanitation and fleet manager Dwayne Archer said the city has 20 rear-loading refuse trucks, 12 of which are used daily and eight used as spares, but repairs often make it difficult to get 12 trucks on the road, Archer said.

Archer said the new trucks will help reduce downtime caused by the poor condition of the current trucks.

Local retailer MHC Kenworth submitted the lowest bids on five refuse trucks and a bulky items truck. City records show the refuse trucks cost $144,210 each, totaling $721,050, while the bulky items truck costs $111,826, reported the Journal.

Maryland-based Suntrust Equipment Financing Co. opened a 7-year lease with the city to finance the trucks at a 3.547 percent interest rate, records show. Total interest over seven years will be $122,311.80.

Purchasing Manager Sid Foster said lease payments will come from Longview's vehicle replacement fund.

City officials during the summer budget season will consider the future of Longview automated sanitation pilot program, Archer said. For nearly a year, some east-central Longview residents have dumped their trash into hard plastic cans with wheels that are mechanically emptied into garbage trucks.

Archer said if the city expands the automated program, refuse trucks will continue to be necessary, reported the Journal.