The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors on April 2025 authorized Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue to issue payment of $100,000 to the State of California and approved a corresponding transfer of funds to cover the cost after efforts to return an older grant-funded boat to the state did not succeed.

Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue told the board the matter is a continuance from the March 18 meeting and that county staff and state legislative offices had tried to negotiate returning the county's older vessel in lieu of payment. "The hope is that the state would take our old boat back instead of having us pay for the new one we had," LaRue said, adding that the state extended the payment deadline to April 20.

LaRue recommended the county pay the $100,000 if the state will not accept the return of the older vessel: "I guess, depending on the time period, if I don't know if there could be a motion to maybe give it a little more time, and then we'll just give them the check by the twentieth, which would be, I guess, the final extension date," he said.

Supervisors asked whether the purchase would affect the general fund; LaRue said the cost will be paid from the county's rural sheriff's funding and "so it won't impact the general fund." He explained attempts to reassign the larger older vessel to another jurisdiction or return it to the state had been hampered by inspection and transfer requirements.

The board voted to authorize the sheriff to issue the payment and separately approved the transfer of $100,000 to cover the purchase. The transcript records Supervisor Valenzuela voting against the authorization to issue payment while Supervisors Harris, Kopsett and Overend voted in favor. The subsequent transfer of funds was recorded as approved by the board.

The board and sheriff discussed continuing efforts to transfer the older vessel back to state custody or to another agency that could use it; LaRue said staff will "try to reach out again" but that the county is preparing to keep the new boat and dispose of the older one.

The actions resolve the immediate payment deadline set by the state agency but leave active efforts underway to relocate or return the older boat and to limit long-term county costs associated with maintaining an oversized vessel for local lakes.