Commissioners informed on price increase of Total Patcher

Monday, July 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

County Highway Superintendent Jason Peters informed the commissioners last week that Total Patcher informed him of a price increase after July 31^st on the spray injection pothole patcher and emulsion storage tank systems.

A couple of months ago, the Pittsboro, IN, company brought a machine to the County Highway Garage for a demonstration. It happened to be a rainy day, and the demonstration showed how the machine works when it’s wet as well as when it’s dry.

The price quote for the pothole patcher was $99,500, but when Peters requested funds to purchase the machine, the County Council denied his request with a 4-3 vote. There were comments that since the machine can work later into the fall and early winter and earlier in the spring, there wasn’t an urgency to purchase during the busy paving season.

The prices increase at the end of this month will be $5,000, or a total of $104,500. The commissioners asked Peters if he thought the company would give them a slight extension since the County Council doesn’t meet until August 11^th to see if funding can be determined.

Commissioner Jesse Bohannon did say that Tim Harman, President of the Council, said there were funds in the Cum Cap Development Fund this year that could be available.

The commissioners discussed a rent-to-own situation, but without knowing how the council would vote, they asked Peters to contact the company and see if there were options.