Voters approved the purchase of an ambulance, police cruisers and school vehicles when Town Meeting reconvened Tuesday night.

An article on the Special Town Meeting warrant to transfer $238,000 from the stabilization fund to the police budget for the purchase of  five police vehicles was amended to approve just $158,000 for the purchase of three vehicles.

The request for three police cruisers but not the two requested SUVs for supervisors was put forth by Finance Committee member Donna Bronk, who argued that the town has other needs that need to be met.

"I would move that we amend it to three police cruisers and no unmarked cars," said Bronk.

"It's not that I dispute we need police cruisers, however we're raiding the stabilization fund...we have over a million dollars of much needed things."

The stabilization fund is financed with money not spent during a previous year's budget and unexpected revenue.

Larry McDonald of the Finance Committee contested Bronk's proposal to trim the police request.

"I rise in opposition. Many towns throughout the commonwealth are experiencing difficulties and are tapping into their stabilization fund. That's what the stabilization fund is for," said McDonald.

"First off we need the vehicles, and secondly we are going to be able to fund the stabilization fund with free cash."

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan recently established a policy that will place at least $100,000 into the stabilization fund if there is $200,000 or more in unspent town money at the end of the year.

Resident Bill Heaney took issue with the original motion asking for five vehicles, saying that there's no way to know if the new stabilization fund policy will work as well as the town hopes it will.

"In real terms, we don't have any history that says we will be able to do that," Heaney said.

Voters approved the amended motion to purchase three vehicles instead of five.

Voters voted unanimously  to approve the purchase and/or lease of a new ambulance out of the fiscal year 2014 budget.

"This article seeks to authorize the purchase of an ambulance. You'll notice there's no funding mechanism," said Sullivan.

"What we're looking to do, since this is a capital item, is get permission for this purchase,"  and ask voters to authorize the $80,000 to make the purchase at a later date, using revenue generated by EMS.

Wareham has had to call in ambulances from other towns for assistance due to a shortage of fully functional ambulances, and Wareham needs an ambulance that "does not break down and require us to call in municipal aid from other towns," according to Sullivan.

Heaney questioned whether or not there would be enough revenue generated by EMS to  cover the cost of the ambulance.

"How do we know we're collecting enough to cover everything we're spending?" he asked.

Sullivan replied that EMS has collected $947,000 through April 2013 and he expects that the "offset receipts" will be able to cover the cost of the ambulance.

Selectmen Chair Peter Teitelbaum pointed out the public safety hazard presented by not having enough ambulances on hand.

"Very often they are down to one ambulance and, on at least one occasion, they were left with zero ambulances and had to borrow services form other towns," said Teitelbaum.  "I think it's very important that we vote to pass this."

In other vehicle purchasing business, voters approved a transfer of $150,000 from the funds generated by the school transportation department to purchase or lease school vehicles.