Committee advances referral requiring quarterly disclosure of sheriff surveillance purchases after debate

The Monroe County Public Safety Committee voted 8-4 on March 24 to send Referral 26-0075 to the full legislature, a proposal that would require the sheriff's office to disclose purchases of surveillance technology above a $100,000 threshold on a quarterly basis.

Sponsor Legislator Barnhart said the $100,000 figure was chosen after review of a previously reported $15,000,000 contract with Axon Enterprises and insisted the referral is meant to increase transparency rather than impede operations. "The reason the $100,000 was reached was because the genesis of this legislation was because of a $15,000,000 contract that the county signed with Axon Enterprises," Barnhart said, noting the legislature did not vote on that contract.

Committee members raised several concerns during a sustained discussion, including a scrivener's error in the referral date, whether the requirement should apply before or after purchases, how to avoid forcing the sheriff to disclose operational details, and whether singling out the sheriff's office was appropriate. Barnhart said the referral includes a carve-out allowing the sheriff to cite public safety concerns and redact material: "If the sheriff gives us says discloses a purchase to us ... there's nothing stopping a legislator from then writing to the sheriff or asking additional questions," he said.

Chief Deputy Fowler of the sheriff's office said the county's purchasing process already requires much of the requested information and described the incremental workload as limited: "The only part here that's the added workload is the explanation of what it's for and and how it will be used," Fowler said.

Law department staff told the committee they had not yet fully reviewed whether the referral conflicts with procurement or public-records rules and agreed to research that question before the full legislature meeting. The referral passed on a roll call of 8 yes, 4 no and will be scheduled for consideration by the full legislature.