Three 2025 Chevrolet Silverado trucks and a 2025 Freightliner dump truck costing a total of $400,000 are being purchased for the Apache Junction Water Utilities Community Facilities District.
The district board of directors voted unanimously Aug. 20 on two motions to approve first purchasing one replacement 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 two-wheel drive crew cab truck and two replacement 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD two-wheel drive regular cab trucks for $200,000 from Midway Chevrolet; and then purchasing a 2025 Freightliner M2106 dump truck from Freightliner of Arizona for $200,000. Both are using cooperative Arizona state contracts.
The board is made up of Apache Junction City Council members.
After the vote, some board members spoke about three vehicles costing $200,000 versus one dump truck for $200,000.
“Mike, the other deal was better; we got three for $200,000,” Board member Bryan Soller said.
“But isn’t it like things like the engines, they’re expensive? Why does one truck cost as much as three engines?” Board member Tess Nesser said.
“It’s a big Freightliner truck — it’s not the size of those and there are a lot more components to it,” Water District Director Mike Loggins said.
Vehicles sought
Prior to the vote, he explained why the three trucks and a dump truck are needed.
“So this year the district is looking to replace the three company vehicles that we have. We typically replace our vehicles every seven years or 100,000 miles,” Loggins said during the board’s Aug. 20 meeting discussion on the three Chevrolet trucks. “During emergency situations, we need to be able to arrive and not have a transmission going out or overheating so we try keeping vehicles up on the maintenance and this helps a lot with this.”
The dump truck will replace one that has been in use for two decades, he said later in the meeting.
“So we would like to replace a 20-year-old dump truck for an approximately three-yard dump truck — so a small one compared to where they are today. We’re looking to purchase more of a bigger dump truck ... that can haul about 10 tons in that truck so that we don’t have to make multiple trips,” he said. “(O)ur truck is about 20 years old at this point in time so it’s losing its usefulness. It does help us in some situations because it’s a smaller truck, but we need to utilize a much larger truck since we’re growing so requesting approval for $200,000.”
Board member Darryl Cross asked if the city could retain the smaller dump truck if it has any useful life to it. Loggins said that was the plan.
“We’ll be trying to utilize it. If we are not able to utilize it, we’ll offer it to other departments throughout the city,” he said.
“OK. It would be a shame to give up a good asset,” Cross said.
“You are going to laugh about this but our existing truck that is 20 years old is a stick shift and many of our new employees do not know how to drive a stick shift,” Loggins said.
Water district
The Apache Junction Water District supplies groundwater pumped from the Eastern Salt River Sub-Basin Aquifer, which flows southwesterly under Apache Junction and its surrounding areas. The groundwater is treated for arsenic removal where necessary, disinfected with chlorine, pumped into storage tanks and blended with surface water from the Colorado River.
The surface water is transported through the Central Arizona Project canal system and filtered and purified at the Superstition Area Water Plant before being introduced into the distribution system.
The water district can also receive treated CAP water from the city of Mesa through an interconnect for a backup supply of water, if needed.
The water district, formed by the city of Apache Junction on Aug. 2, 1994, is responsible for providing water service for a portion of the city of Apache Junction, according to www.ajwaterdistrict.org. The remaining area is served by Arizona Water Co., www.azwater.com.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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