Officials OK auction of surplus vehicles

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County commissioners have approved an auction of 32 surplus county vehicles, which will begin at 3 p.m. Nov. 21 at the county sanitary engineer’s office, 761 Industrial Road.

Potential bidders may inspect the vehicles from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 18, and must register at 2 p.m. Nov. 21.

All vehicles will be sold in as-is condition to the highest bidder, with no minimum sale prices, said James Fortunato, county purchasing director. The Ohio ethics law forbids county employees from bidding, he added.

All bids must be made in person, with no telephone or Internet bids allowed, Fortunato said.

George Roman Auctioneers Ltd. of Canfield, which will conduct the auction, will receive 10 percent of the county’s gross auction proceeds and will not collect any premiums from buyers, Fortunato said.

The vehicles include cars, vans, pickup trucks and a bus, and most have been used by the sheriff’s office or engineer’s department. Most have traveled over 100,000 miles and three have more than 200,000 miles.

The vehicles, whose model years range from 1977 to 2004, range from good to poor condition and in estimated value from $500 to $2,000, according to the county’s pre-auction list.

All buyers must pay in cash and remove their purchases within three days after the auction without using any county equipment or staff to do so.