Board approves early appropriation for two sheriff's vehicles; amount in record unclear

The Charlotte County Board of Supervisors approved an appropriation to allow purchase of two sheriff’s vehicles ahead of the regular FY2026 procurement schedule.

The sheriff’s office requested early funding because two patrol vehicles were described in the meeting as having very high mileage and incurring growing maintenance costs. Staff told the board a grant that had been available in a prior cycle was no longer obtainable; the county administrator said, if appropriated now, the cost would be covered by general fund reserves and then deducted from the FY2026 budget.

The numeric appropriation cited in the meeting transcript appears garbled: staff read a figure transcribed as “1 1 72 3 90.” The board made the appropriation by motion and voice vote, and supervisors approved the request. The board did not take delivery of the vehicles at the meeting; staff said ordering now could move the delivery timeline earlier in the procurement cycle.

The board’s motion directs county staff to appropriate the funds from general fund reserves and to reflect the appropriation in the FY2026 budget as an offset. No additional staffing, vehicle specifications or vendor names were discussed in open session.