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Sheriff's Office says vendor change cuts camera upgrade cost to about $19,000; seeks supplemental funds
Summary
A Sheriff's Office representative told commissioners that vendor changes left the county due for a camera refresh but without the originally promised equipment; renegotiation lowered estimated support-equipment costs from roughly $78,000 to about $19,000 and staff asked the commission to approve a supplemental appropriation while pursuing grant funding.
A representative of the Mason County Sheriff's Office told the board that a 2021 five-year contract for body-worn cameras required periodic refreshes and that recent vendor changes left the county without the originally expected replacement cameras. The representative said the supplier initially estimated a substantial cost to move to a new platform but that a renegotiation after a Zoom meeting reduced the county's immediate outlay to about $19,000.
"All we're asking for now is about 19,000 for support systems and equipment," the Sheriff's Office representative said, referring to docking stations, chargers and other peripheral hardware the department expects will not be covered automatically by the vendor refresh. The presentation noted earlier estimates as high as roughly $70,000'$80,000 before discussions.
Commissioners praised staff for pressing the vendor and said they were supportive of finding money to cover the smaller supplemental need. The representative said the department will seek to have those support items covered by a pending grant if possible and will plan whether to request the supplement in either the June/July or the November budget amendment cycle.
The department also said it is evaluating a leasing approach for replacement cameras to smooth year-over-year costs, akin to the county's existing taser lease model. No formal appropriation or vote was taken at the briefing; staff said they would return with a formal request for supplemental funds if necessary.
