The sheriff's office asked the county to declare a wrecked Dodge Durango surplus and authorize disposal without further expense after a motor swap left the totaled vehicle without a usable engine. The office said mechanical shortages and budget shortfalls have left the fleet strained and urged commissioners to allow the Durango to be scrapped, not towed back to county storage, to avoid additional costs.

Under Sheriff Yarnhill told the commissioners the agency had cannibalized a totaled vehicle to keep another patrol car operational. The totaled Durango, he said, would not be economical to repair: camshafts are backordered and comparable repairs would cost roughly the same as an engine swap but take months. The sheriff described the cost of moving the wreck and the low estimated scrap value, and said the office needed flexibility to dispose of the vehicle in the most cost-effective manner.

County staff discussed the typical surplus process — advertise briefly for offers and then dispose — but commissioners and the sheriff agreed that towing the vehicle back to county surplus and holding a formal auction would cost about $400 and was unlikely to recover value. Commissioners directed staff to redraft a resolution that would allow disposal in the most practical way and noted they had previously used a short notice-and-dispose method for similar wrecked equipment.

The sheriff also used the hearing to flag a broader fleet problem. He said the office was able to purchase only two vehicles in the latest budget cycle and that multiple patrol vehicles are nearing 100,000 miles or otherwise in poor condition. Commissioners asked the sheriff to maintain a list of available used vehicles and to alert the board promptly if a viable acquisition appears. The sheriff said he would develop a standing search for reasonable buys in the third and fourth fiscal quarters, the months when surplus vehicle markets often yield better deals.

No final disposal vote was taken during the hearing; commissioners asked the county attorney and staff to prepare a formal resolution for a future meeting that would specifically authorize the sheriff or staff to scrap the Durango if no acceptable offers are received.