Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sheriff Vehicle Titling topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Director reports several sheriff vehicles mistitled; says one may have been driven uninsured
Summary
Director Fitzgerald reported that multiple vehicles purchased in 2023 were titled to the Curry County Sheriff's Office without commission approval; he estimated 5–6 mistitled vehicles and said one sheriff truck may have been driven without insurance for three years, and he will retitle vehicles and ask the sheriff not to operate problematic vehicles until resolved.
Director Fitzgerald told the board on Sept. 23 that county records show several vehicles purchased in 2023 were titled in the name of the Curry County Sheriff's Office without the County Commission’s consent. He estimated five to six vehicles could be mistitled and said this has left the county without documentation for registrations and ongoing insurance on those vehicles.
Fitzgerald said one sheriff vehicle — described as a gray truck the sheriff has driven since 2023 — appears to have been driven for three years without insurance. He said he is addressing the problem by retitling the vehicles to the correct county ownership, has asked the sheriff to provide the truck’s location, and has requested that the sheriff refrain from operating the vehicle now that the issue is known.
Fitzgerald said the matter likely predates the 2024 budget cuts and expressed concern about exposure of the county to liability when county vehicles are operated without proper insurance or registration. He said staff will continue to work to “unravel that” and will report back to the board.
