Sheriff asks to replace patrol fleet but board delays purchase until budget workshop

The Josephine County Sheriff told the Board of Commissioners he wants to purchase five marked patrol vehicles beginning July 1 to replace aging units, but commissioners declined to approve the order immediately and asked that the request be discussed during an upcoming budget workshop.

The sheriff said he initially requested eight vehicles but reduced the request to five after reviewing fleet needs. He explained patrol vehicles ordered through state bid programs can take "upwards of 14 months to receive," and said many of the current units have high mileage (he cited ranges up to 100,000 miles and higher) and rising maintenance costs. "I wanna the safest vehicle I can I can afford," the sheriff said, describing choices between model types and the county's preference for heavier vehicles for safety.

Nut graf: Commissioners expressed support for replacing worn fleet but said the county is entering budget season and asked for a fuller briefing on budget implications. The board asked staff to invite the finance director to a future workshop to discuss fleet funding, replacement schedules and timeline, and to delay any purchase commitments until that discussion.

Details and next steps The sheriff said replacement vehicles were already funded in a fleet replacement fund that is "paid for" through prior county contributions and that the question is timing and whether ordering now best matches anticipated budget constraints. Commissioners asked whether procurement could wait until the July 1 start date and asked staff to consult Public Works/fleet and the finance director; commissioners also said they preferred to consider the purchase in a broader budget context rather than approve it immediately.

Ending: The board directed staff to schedule the sheriff's vehicle request for the next budget workshop with the county finance director present; no purchase order was approved at this meeting.