LEWISTON – Police will try to make due with two fewer new cruisers next year to trim the budget.

Instead, they’ll try overhauling the vehicles to see if they can squeeze out a couple more years of service.

“It’s worth a shot,” police Chief Bill Welch said. “I don’t think it’s worth keeping all of the older cars, because they’re too far gone. But I think we can look at a couple of them and see if it makes sense.”

Police normally try to replace seven cars every year. The department has 14 marked vehicles and nine unmarked cars in its fleet, and new cruisers can cost more than $20,000.

“Cruisers are the biggest part of my capital budget,” Welch said. He still plans to purchase at least five new cruisers, but will keep two of the older ones and simply pay to overhaul them.

Councilors reviewed part of Welch’s proposed $5.4 million budget Tuesday night before their regular meeting. It calls for more than $589,000 more in spending compared to the current budget – much of it from wage increases and benefits from new labor contracts.

“It’s a significant increase, more than ever, because it really represents two years worth of increases all at once,” Welch said.

Councilors had suggested Welch consider refurbishing some older police vehicles rather replacing them, and Welch said it’s beginning to make sense. Police tend to put at least 5,000 miles on a cruiser each month, and that can mean sever wear and tear after several years.

“When we say a car has 100,000 miles on it, it has 100,000 on every part of it,” he said. Replacing the cruisers’ engines costs up to $5,000 and a new transmission could cost $3,000.

“As long as the car is safe for my officers, I don’t have a problem considering it,” he said.

Councilors will continue their budget work Thursday when they host a meeting with the Auburn City Council. That meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in Lewiston City Hall.