Sheriff Jerry requested authority to purchase new marked and undercover vehicles and to obtain a credit card for the jail commissary account. He presented several dealer bids for a Durango and additional outfitting and said auction funds and a court-ordered vehicle fund could cover purchases.

Commissioner discussion focused on compliance with a prior mediation agreement and the need for transparency. Commissioners asked the sheriff to provide a list of vehicles he plans to trade in so the county could arrange auctions or disposals and ensure the county reduces rather than increases the total fleet size. The commissioners agreed to consider vehicle purchases at their Oct. 15 meeting once the sheriff provides the trade-in list.

On the commissary credit card, staff presented a draft ordinance and internal controls policy that mirrors countywide P-card controls previously adopted; the board voted to establish the account and to follow internal-control procedures. The action was recorded as an ordinance/resolution package during the meeting.

Jail maintenance funding: the sheriff raised a longstanding concern about who should pay for routine jail maintenance and emergency repairs. The commissioners and the sheriff agreed that, going forward, jail maintenance expenditures should be included in the sheriff's budget or the council should appropriate a clear maintenance line; staff said county policy and statute require commissioners to review county contracts and the parties agreed to document maintenance responsibilities and budget requests ahead of the 2026 budget cycle.

Next steps: the sheriff will provide a list of vehicles to be traded by the Oct. 15 meeting; the board approved the commissary credit card request and internal-control ordinance and asked staff to prepare the necessary paperwork.