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Commissioners approve using budget funds for faster sheriff background testing
Summary
The Okanogan County commissioners voted to allow the sheriff’s office to use existing budget funds to switch to a faster vendor, Public Safety Testing, for psych and background evaluations to reduce hiring delays.
The Okanogan County Board of Commissioners voted to let the sheriff use budgeted funds to contract with Public Safety Testing, a more expensive vendor that guarantees about a 30-day turnaround for psych and background evaluations.
County leaders said delays in psychological evaluations and background checks have been creating a hiring bottleneck for the jail. The motion to permit the sheriff to use funds within the existing budget passed after a second and a voice vote.
Commissioner (Speaker 2) moved to authorize the sheriff’s office to use budget funds for Public Safety Testing, saying the county has unfilled positions and an unused portion of the budget for the month that could cover the higher cost. Commissioner (Speaker 3) seconded the motion. After brief discussion, the board called for a vote and several commissioners responded “Aye.” Commissioner (Speaker 1) described the change as a remedy to a “big bottleneck.”
County staff noted the vendor the county currently uses is less expensive—about $600 per person—but slower, while Public Safety Testing costs approximately $2,000 per person but guarantees a faster turnaround. The board discussed that quicker clearances would help move applicants through the hiring pipeline more quickly.
No ordinance, statutory citation, or contract number was provided during the discussion. Commissioners said they would notify the sheriff and relevant staff that the authorization was approved and to proceed with signing up applicants for the expedited testing. The action was presented as a budget-authorized transfer for service use; no additional appropriation was requested on the record.
The vote in the meeting transcript was conducted by voice; no roll-call tally naming each commissioner was recorded in the transcript. The board’s action allows the sheriff’s office to use existing budgeted funds to engage Public Safety Testing “until further notice.”
Looking ahead, staff will implement the vendor change for applicants awaiting psych evaluations and background checks. The board did not set a formal sunset date for the authorization during the discussion.
