El Paso County Commissioners approved a one-time exemption that allows the county to purchase two vehicles offered at auction by Emergency Services District (ESD) 2, with a not-to-exceed amount of $90,000. The item (4aa) was pulled from the consent agenda for discussion before the court voted to authorize the purchase.

County Auditor Barbara Parker told the court she had received an email from the sheriff indicating an intent to bid and reminded officials that asset-forfeiture funds are federal dollars subject to county policies and procurement procedures. "While I applaud the sheriff for thinking outside the box, we do have to follow all county policies and procedures for those federal funds," Parker said, noting potential audit exposure if procedures were not followed.

Karen Davidson, the county purchasing agent, said the practice is "not best practice" and recommended an interlocal agreement with the selling political subdivision to allow fuller analysis, VIN checks and a fleet assessment by the county fleet director. Assistant County Attorney Eric Rosales Magaglione said the legal review identified exemptions under the Texas Local Government Code that the court may use but emphasized the auditor and purchasing concerns were policy matters for the court.

Commander Cardona of the Sheriff’s Office described the ESD 2 vehicles as well maintained and low-mileage and said the sheriff’s office had not yet placed a bid and had sought guidance. Commissioner Coronado said he was "okay with authorizing this" for the immediate need but requested a future interlocal agreement with ESDs for similar transfers.

Judge Samaniego moved to approve the exemption, Commissioner Coronado seconded, and the clerk announced "Motion carries." The agenda item is funded from special grant/sheriff treasury capital outlays (EQ19), as noted in the agenda language.

Next steps: purchasing and auditor staff will follow up on documentation (VIN numbers, maintenance history) and pursue an interlocal agreement template to avoid ad hoc procurement questions in future acquisitions.