Marshall County commissioners voted to forward a favorable recommendation to the county council for the sheriff’s proposal to replace the department’s aging dash‑camera system with Axon dash cameras, and separately approved the sheriff’s 2026 contract and salary.

Sheriff’s staff described the Axon package as an extension of the department’s existing Axon body‑camera platform and said it would be acquired on a multi‑year payment schedule that spreads equipment and installation costs over five years. The presenters told commissioners that the package (which includes uninstallation of the current system, installation of the new dash cameras, cloud storage for body cameras and local storage for dash footage under the current system, warranty coverage and refresh after five years) would cost about $40,000 a year to cover the patrol fleet. They said the arrangement would simplify evidence transfer to prosecutors and provide emergency location and live‑view capabilities to dispatch in critical incidents.

Commissioners discussed interoperability with neighboring dispatch centers and whether access should be kept local. Sheriff’s staff said the system is permissions‑based and the county could keep access in‑house while enabling limited data sharing with adjacent jurisdictions if needed. The presenters also said Axon provides a five‑year warranty and equipment refresh schedule that effectively extends usable life beyond five years.

After discussion about cost and operational benefits, a commissioner moved to send the request to the county council with a favorable recommendation. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously.

In a separate vote later in the meeting, commissioners approved the sheriff’s 2026 employment contract and set the sheriff’s salary at $117,999.99 for the year. Commissioners noted counsel should confirm payroll‑processing details and rounding for the amount when transmitting the contract to payroll.

What’s next: The equipment purchase will be considered by the county council following the commissioners’ favorable recommendation. The sheriff’s contract is approved by the commissioners and will be implemented for the 2026 payroll year.