Local municipalities will have a chance to unload items they no longer need later this year.

Carbon County Commissioners on Thursday released a request for proposals for an auctioneer to run a public auction in September for the county’s Council of Governments.

Commissioner Chris Lukasevich said the event is scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Sept. 18 and the county will be using two zones of its parking lot in Jim Thorpe as well as a storage shed on the north end of the parking lot.

“The auction would include items from municipalities that are in excess or no longer usable for them,” Lukasevich said.

One item, at least from the county’s perspective, that could be a hot seller, is its old meter heads. Since the county went to a parking kiosk payment system, Commissioner Rocky Ahner said it has been fielding calls from people inquiring about the meter heads.

“They’re hard to find anymore, so there may be some collectors out there looking for them,” Ahner said.

Vehicles will also be a part of the auction, and Ahner said the county will likely have a viewing day shortly before the auction so interested people can see what they may be bidding on.

Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said past municipal auctions in the area have done quite well.

“I’ve seen a lot of things go that I never thought would have sold,” Nothstein said. “We sold a bunch chairs one time for $1 and I think some of the wheels were missing. You just never know what people are going to buy.”

Other examples of items that have been available in the past, he said, are old light fixtures or unused storm drain piping.

“When East Penn Township disbanded its police department, they sold a car for a nice chunk of change, probably more than it was worth,” Nothstein said.

COG member municipalities will keep 95% of the proceeds from the auction with 5% going back to the COG.

Municipalities that are not a member of the COG will keep 92% of sales, with 8% going to the COG.

Proposals for auction services are due back to the county’s chief clerk by 3 p.m. on July 30.