County commissioners on Monday discussed using state SB22 funding to pay for new sheriff’s office positions and equipment and to lease patrol vehicles to reduce the amount of local tax dollars needed in this year’s budget. The commissioners reviewed a proposed package that would use a large portion of the SB22 allocation for two fully burdened deputy positions, law‑enforcement equipment and the financing of vehicles.

The discussion focused on how to apply SB22 dollars and which expenses could be charged to the award. Commissioners and sheriff’s office staff described options including designating SB22 for new hires and certain supplies, then leasing vehicles so the county would not book the full purchase as a current M&O expense.

The commissioners said that, if used for salaries as permitted by SB22, the county could spread the vehicle costs over several budgets by leasing and thereby lower the immediate tax impact. County staff estimated two fully burdened deputy positions would cost roughly $110,000–$120,000, and they proposed additional line items including AirCards (about $80,000), SWAT equipment ($20,000), tasers ($25,000), radios ($25,000) and law‑enforcement supplies ($75,000). That package totaled roughly $3.45 million in items identified for law enforcement, with about $500,000 in vehicle financing discussed separately as revenue from SB22 that would be spent on equipment.

Staff cautioned that applying SB22 to salaries requires detailed tracking and documentation; auditors will require receipts and justification for each item charged to the program. Commissioners discussed the practicalities of assigning portions of SB22 to particular employees or items, noting the complexity when employees leave or are promoted. Staff said the grant rules would permit dedicating funds to new positions or narrowly defined supplies but warned that overtime and some benefit costs are ineligible.

Commissioners also debated whether to lease vehicles (which would spread expense forward and affect debt calculations in later years) or to treat vehicles as current purchases; staff noted that leasing would change debt metrics in future budgets but not immediately. Several commissioners expressed support for protecting core public‑safety capabilities while trimming nonessential spending elsewhere in the draft budget.

No formal motions or votes were taken at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to carry the preliminary figures forward and to prepare a detailed spreadsheet showing which SB22‑eligible expenses could be documented and charged to the grant.

The next budget draft will reflect the commissioners’ direction: program the sheriff’s office at the revised levels that include two new deputies, law‑enforcement supplies and the equipment package, with staff returning with line‑by‑line documentation for SB22 charges.