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Sheriff seeks extra patrol/coverage, vehicles and equipment in FY26 requests
Summary
Sheriff's office presentation requested new coverage options for schools, replacement and leased vehicles, K‑9 and equipment maintenance and raised timing issues for vehicle orders; fingerprint and taser replacements noted as aging inventory.
The sheriff’s office presented a multi-part FY26 request that included a mix of personnel, equipment and vehicle proposals. The speaker asked for a contractual option to provide a fractional retired law-enforcement officer at Galena Elementary (described as an hourly/contract position with limited benefits) citing response-time concerns in that area. The proposal was framed as a possible contractual pilot rather than a guaranteed new full-time position.
On vehicles, the sheriff said an ongoing delivery lag for new vehicles makes early ordering important; he described two options for replacing a failing vehicle fleet item: leasing a replacement or buying outright. A replacement Vactor/sewer-cleaning vehicle for Public Works was discussed later in the meeting as a separate item; the sheriff’s request focused on patrol vehicle rotation, adding two vehicles and converting an enterprise-leased vehicle into fleet service to reduce maintenance costs. He noted some recently received vehicles (ordered last year) were only now available and urged placing orders early so quotes and procurement do not delay delivery. Commissioners and staff agreed quotes must still return for approval before final purchase.
Equipment and operational requests included replacement body armor vests (six units scheduled by expiration), K‑9 vehicle needs with specific concerns about a canine unit vehicle that may not last the fiscal year, and recurring background/psychological checks required by state mandates. The sheriff also described an older fingerprint machine (2014 model) that is now unsupported; he said it currently works but has no available maintenance contract and would need replacement promptly if it fails. Taser servicing and spare levels were noted as adequate now but potentially needing replacement in coming years.
The sheriff summarized department performance data in an annual report distributed to commissioners: calls for service were reported up (18,479, an increase of 715), felony and misdemeanor counts were down year-over-year, and the county recorded zero opioid-overdose deaths in 2024 (29 overdoses with zero deaths), which the speaker attributed in part to Narcan availability and local initiatives.
Ending
Commissioners and staff discussed the timing of vehicle orders and agreed department staff should obtain quotes and return them to the board for approval; early order placement was encouraged so procurement lead times do not create operational shortfalls.
