By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



The Morris Police Department will soon have a slick new set of wheels.

On Tuesday night, the Morris City Council voted to purchase a 2008 Dodge Charger for the city’s police department.

The car will be blue and will simply say Morris Police Department on the doors, the trunk lid and possibly on the front.

Morris Police Chief Brian Cochran said he did not want to put stripes on such a beautiful car. The department is not adopting a new paint scheme for its cars, just for the new Charger.

The car will not have police lights mounted on the top, but the $23,500 price tag includes police lights on the inside of the car. The Charger will also have a siren and other standard police equipment.

Cochran said the department should receive the car in about 60 days.

Morris Mayor Craig Drummonds said the Charger will be used as a patrol car.

In other business, the council:

• passed a resolution to allow new streetlights for Savannah Cove, the city’s newest subdivision.

• voted to renew the city’s agreement with Alatax, a company that collects sales tax for the city.

• hired a new police officer at $12 an hour. The officer replaces another officer who recently left the department.

• Heard the first reading of a new business license ordinance that would take effect in 2008. The new ordinance is more detailed than the existing one and calls for some businesses to pay up to $25 more for their annual business licenses. The council will vote on the ordinance at its December meeting.

• announced that the Morris Christmas parade and festival will be held today. The parade begins at 10 a.m., with the festival scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Morris City Park across from City Hall.

• changed the December meeting to Thursday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m. The normally scheduled fourth Tuesday meeting would fall on Christmas day.