Ex-councilman questions Garfield backhoe purchase

A bid purchase of a $29,600 surplus backhoe by the Town of Garfield two weeks ago has drawn questions from residents.

The item, paid for from Garfield's equipment reserve fund, replaces a backhoe sold in 2013 by then Mayor Jarrod Pfaff.

“It'll be used for plowing driveways, digging ditches, water and sewer, loading boxes at the compost site; we use them everyday,” Mayor Ray McCown said.

Without a backhoe, town workers have used a skid steer and mini-excavator.

“With a backhoe's capacity, a job goes four times faster,” McCown said. “There's just no comparison on some jobs. There's times when th...