Meriwether County commissioners approved the purchase of two 2025 Dodge Durango vehicles for the sheriff's office and authorized funding through SPLOST.

Staff recommended buying up to two 2025 Dodge Durangos from Woody Folsom at $44,000 each, with estimated upfitting (radios, cages, lights) of up to $10,000 per vehicle. The board passed a motion to approve the purchase and to fund the acquisition from the county's SPLOST account.

During discussion commissioners pressed staff on drivetrain and field capability. Staff said the Durango quote is for all-wheel drive and that any Ram 1500 replacements would be procured with 4x4 capability when requested. Commissioners asked that future purchases emphasize off-road capability where operational needs require it.

Staff also described plans to reuse compatible equipment from older vehicles where feasible and to rotate older units into other county departments as needs dictate. The board asked staff to manage vehicle color/graphics and to budget roughly $3,000 per vehicle for painting or marking to distinguish law-enforcement units from administration vehicles.