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Siskiyou Sheriff Seeks Time to Negotiate $100,000 Grant Repayment over Undisclosed Vessel
Summary
Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue told the Board of Supervisors the county must either repay roughly $100,000 or return a large vessel after the state flagged an undisclosed boat in a 2021 grant application; the board continued the item to March 18 and directed the sheriff to negotiate with the state.
Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue told the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors that the state is seeking repayment of $100,000 tied to a 2021 equipment grant after a previously unlisted fourth vessel was discovered during a site inspection.
LaRue said the county fronted the purchase from the general fund and later received a state reimbursement for the vessel; the state now contends the county omitted a fourth boat from its inventory and is asking for repayment or return of the equipment. “They indicated that they believe we were inaccurate in our numbers and they wanted to basically pull the grant back,” LaRue said.
The sheriff and administrative staff described efforts to resolve the matter without returning the newer dive boat used for search-and-rescue. Courtney Greening, administrative services manager for the sheriff’s office, said staff compiled documents the state requested and planned to provide them promptly. Greening said the state inspector found the county underutilizing a larger vessel and was encouraging streamlining of vessels and trailers.
Board members discussed options including paying the state out of discretionary rural sheriff funds (identified in the meeting as AB 443 funds), transferring the large vessel to another agency, or pursuing additional negotiation with the state. A March payment deadline in mid-March was referenced during discussion; meeting participants cited a March 9 deadline and also discussed March 19 as a cutoff in follow-up remarks.
Rather than approve an immediate payment, the board voted to continue the item to its March 18 meeting and directed the sheriff’s office to negotiate with state partners and report back. The board’s instruction included asking the sheriff and county staff to pursue transfer or other resolution before approving payment.
The transcript records the board’s decision to continue the item and direct negotiations; no roll-call dollar approval to repay the state was recorded in the meeting minutes for this item. The sheriff’s office said the county wants to avoid putting the general fund at further risk and will return to the board if negotiations are unsuccessful.
If negotiations fail, the sheriff said the state could repossess the vessel; the sheriff’s office also noted the vessel has been used in county operations and that staff continue efforts to find another agency that could accept it if needed.
The item will return to the board on March 18 with an update on negotiations and any recommended next steps.
