Lehighton has decided to forge ahead with the purchase of a new dump truck for its public works department.

On a unanimous measure, borough council on Monday agreed to buy a 2025 Freightliner 114 chassis from Horwith trucks, with plow, with a $125,000 down payment on the truck from the borough’s liquid fuels funding, for a total cost of $226,219.

The 2025 Freightliner 114 chassis includes a $66,000 Kutz body, a $17,800 Glendhill plow, and a Swenson spreader.

The equipment has a five-year extended warranty.

The new dump truck is expected to replace the 1995 Ford.

Financing will be taken out of the borough’s yearly allotment of liquid fuels funding as well for the next five years.

Before the vote, Council Vice President Becky Worthy said she and Councilman Dave Arndt looked at what the department currently has and listened to concerns with the functionality of it.

Borough Manager Dane DeWire said he discussed the matter with the borough mechanic earlier in the day, and that his major concern was why a dump truck that Arndt previously suggested was sitting on the lot.

Public Works supervisor Kris Kunkle told borough council there is an issue of where the hydraulics are, and added the department does not need a four-wheel vehicle.

Kunkle said the Horwith truck is available, and that in two more weeks, it probably won’t be.

Council’s decision comes several weeks after it discussed the purchase of a new dump from liquid fuels funding at its special meeting.

DeWire said he received a quote for $226,219, and added it was the best price the borough would be able to get this time of year.

It was then suggested the borough look to put a $125,000 down payment on the truck from liquid fuels funding.

But, Arndt questioned how long the borough would have to wait for the truck to be available.

DeWire noted that the truck would only be able to be used for salt spreading initially, and that it wouldn’t likely have the plow until late summer, early fall.

He added that the chances of another dealer beating that price wasn’t likely, and that he was worried that the dump truck wouldn’t be there the longer council waits.

DeWire said the Public Works Department has been using a truck for plowing and salting that’s 30 years old. It started developing problems in early December and it got worse.