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Board authorizes up-to $56,951 from general fund toward sheriff—s body scanner after debate over forfeiture and CIP funds
Summary
After questioning from supervisors about asset-forfeiture and CIP balances, Page County supervisors approved an allocation of up to $56,951 from the general fund, combined with CIP and PayTel funds, to purchase a quoted body scanner for the sheriff—s office; the allocation is tied to a quote that expires at month—s end.
The Page County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 16 discussed and approved a staff-recommended package to finance a body scanner for the sheriff—s office, after a prolonged exchange about which pots of money could legally and practically be used.
County staff (Speaker 4) told the board the scanner quote was $162,000 with an $8,900 extended-warranty option. The sheriff proposed contributing $35,000 from PayTel receipts; staff recommended using $9,509 from FY24 CIP funds, $35,000 from PayTel and $81,270 of general fund balance to pay for the scanner and warranty. Staff also recommended appropriating $59,820 of remaining federal asset forfeiture funds for the sheriff—s essential services, and described roughly $54,630 of CIP funds remaining for other sheriff requests.
Board members pressed staff on the legality and timing of using forfeiture funds, whether grants had been sought for the scanner, and the amount of unallocated balances. "The DCJS and DOJ both said that this purchase would qualify as a permissible use of those funds," Speaker 4 said, summarizing agency guidance; the sheriff, staff said, previously indicated asset-forfeiture funds could not be used for the scanner but later provided an attached letter clarifying available balances.
Speaker 3 moved that the board approve up to $56,951 from the general fund toward the body scanner, include $9,509 from the county CIP fund balance and the staff-recommended transfers and appropriations, and tie the allocation to the current vendor quote that expires at the end of the month. The motion was seconded and the transcript records affirmative votes from several members. "The body scanner quote expires at the end of this month," Speaker 4 noted during the motion and amendment discussion.
The board—s action authorized staff to proceed with the funding mix as described and to allow the sheriff to use identified asset-forfeiture funds where legally permissible; specific subsequent accounting actions and the sheriff—s final funding choices will be handled by staff per standard county procedures.
Because the transcript uses only speaker numbers rather than names, direct quotes and attributions in this article follow the transcript—s speaker labels.
