Grimes County commissioners reallocate 2015 Tahoe to building and maintenance, set 30-day timeline

Grimes County Commissioners Court voted to reallocate a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe (department tag 2779) from Constable Precinct 3 to the county building and maintenance department and to auction the current maintenance Tahoe, with proceeds applied to equipment transfer, the court said during its open session discussion on agenda item 10.

Commissioner Philip Cox said the maintenance vehicle “has reached this life expectancy, and it's time to do something different,” and presented options including purchasing a new vehicle or reallocating an existing county vehicle to meet immediate needs.

The court’s discussion focused on which vehicle could be reallocated without unduly compromising law-enforcement readiness. Jesse (County Auditor) reported that the 2015 vehicle “was purchased with title 4 e monies,” and that the juvenile board — which approves the juvenile department budget — preferred waiting for a new juvenile probation chief to assess fleet needs before any final transfer decision. Jesse also said existing county policies and procedures guide disposal and asset transfers.

Commissioners and other speakers raised mechanical concerns about a 2018 pickup considered for reallocation, including a rebuilt transmission that reportedly has leaked and a suspected rear-end and cooling-system issue. Commissioner Cox said those defects made the 2018 truck unsuitable for reassignment to maintenance and reiterated that the county needed to decide between reallocating the Tahoe or buying a new vehicle.

Sean King, who provided the dealership quote, told the court, “The total for 2, if we were to order both of them at the same time, would be $72,003.30,” and stated a single vehicle price of $35,009.65 and that ordered vehicles would arrive about 90 days after purchase.

Some commissioners argued a new pickup (a Chevrolet Colorado on the quote) might not meet maintenance needs without additional equipment such as a covered bed, while others said purchasing a new vehicle could be fiscally prudent in the long run. The court also discussed whether reallocating the Tahoe would leave constables without an immediate backup vehicle; commissioners noted that backup-vehicle policy and allocation practices may need separate review.

Commissioner Philip Cox moved “to reallocate vehicle with tag number 2 departmental tag number 2779, which is a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe from Constable Precinct 3 to Building and Maintenance, that the current Tahoe operated by Mr. Floyd be auctioned and those funds used to remove and reinstall any equipment onto Constable Precinct 3's vehicles,” and Commissioner David Tellis seconded the motion. An amendment set the equipment-removal and transfer timeline at 30 days.

The court called the question; members in the room voted and the presiding officer announced the motion carried. The court did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript of this item.

The court then moved on to other agenda items. Earlier, it also noted it had returned from an executive session held on a grievance complaint (agenda item 15) and announced it would go back into closed session later for personnel and real-property deliberations under the Texas Government Code.