LUDLOW — The mayor of this small river town decided to rebid three surplus vehicles after one resident complained that the vehicles didn't go to the highest bidder and one of the witnesses to the bid opening got one of the cars.

        The vehicles are in the city lot behind City Hall.

This Jeep Cherokee belonged to Ludlow, and was sold to a city worker. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        Instead of awarding the vehicles — a Jeep Cherokee and two police cruisers — to the highest bidder, a Ludlow resident who bid $500 in August, the two police cruisers were to be sold for $12 each to the city clerk and the Jeep Cherokee was to be sold to a city hall worker for $201.

        “I don't understand how they can turn down a $500 bid and sell them for a total of $225,” said Fred Brooks, the owner of a auto repair shop who placed the $500 bid.

        Without even seeing the surplus police cars, Cincinnati Auto Recycling in Lockland told a reporter it would pay $200 each for the cruisers.

        Mr. Brooks' bid was eliminated because it did not meet specifications outlined in the call for bids. He bid $500 for all three vehicles, though the bid instructions called for a separate bid for each vehicle.,

        With Mr. Brooks' bid eliminated, the highest bids were from City Clerk Paul Weekley and City Hall worker Alice Margolen.

        Mayor Schroeder opened the sealed bids sometime in August inside his City Hall office with City Clerk Weekley as witness. Mr. Schroeder then tried to conceal the fact that city employees were getting the vehicles for under their estimated value.

        On August 29, Mr. Schroeder denied he was selling the Cherokee for $201 until an Enquirer reporter questioned him on why the vehicle was parked in front of Mrs. Margolen's home. It was then he said he would take back the vehicles to rebid them.

        On Aug. 28, Mrs. Margolen's husband, Herman answered the door at the couple's house, confirmed that the Cherokee parked outside on the street was theirs and said he could turn around and sell the 1987 vehicle with 180,000 miles on it for $800.

        Mr. Schroeder said on Aug. 29 that the city would rebid the vehicles to clear up a “misunderstanding” with Mr. Brooks and on advice from the city attorney.

        No date has been set to rebid the vehicles as of Tuesday, council member Cindy Schachere said. All the city's surplus vehicles will now be sold at once, Ms. Schachere said, and the city will wait until new police cruisers arrive to auction off the old ones.

        “We are not selling something that costs $500,000,” Mr. Schroeder said. “I don't think it is fair to make such a big story out of something so small. We are not trying to hide anything. It was all legal.”

        The money generated from the sale of the Cherokee, which was seized by the police department during a criminal investigation, is earmarked to go back into law enforcement coffers.

        Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney Bill Crockett said the law calls for 90 percent of the money to go to the local police with the remaining 10 percent going to the local prosecutor.

        Council member William Froehle, who oversees public safety, said the mayor's decision was the right move. “It eliminates any appearance of impropriety,” he said.
       

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