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Freestone County approves purchase of three patrol vehicles from SB22 sheriff funds; staff clarifies hiring rules before using jail funds
Summary
After discussion about staffing and fund restrictions, meeting participants approved purchasing three patrol vehicles now using SB22 sheriff funds and authorized spending remaining funds on vehicles and equipment before the fiscal-year deadline; staff clarified that jail-pod funds cannot be used until county jail positions are filled.
Freestone County participants approved a motion to purchase three patrol vehicles now using sheriff SB22 funds and authorized using any remaining SB22 funds by the end of the fiscal year for vehicles and equipment, after a discussion about staffing requirements and fund eligibility.
An agency official described the county’s SB22 balance and proposed vehicle purchases, saying the county had roughly $179,000 available and, after accounting for other items, a little over $200,000 would be available. "I was thinking we could get at least three trucks," the agency official said, adding they had researched a dealer quote that was cheaper than other sources.
Staff clarified that use of SB22 jail-pod funds for a records/jailer position requires county jail positions to be filled before those specific jail funds can be spent. "It runs the same as our fiscal year," a staff member said when asked about the spending deadline, and staff stated that county jail positions must be filled before using the jail pod funds.
Officials discussed pricing and outfitting: the quoted average price per vehicle was $47,650, making three vehicles about $142,950 and four about $183,000. Participants debated ordering two now and adding more later versus ordering three or four immediately; several supported ordering three now with authority to spend leftover funds later so the county would not have to budget for two patrol cars next year.
A motion to allow the purchase of three vehicles now and to permit the use of remaining SB22 funds for vehicles and equipment by the end of the fiscal year was made and seconded; the chair called the motion carried. The motion text recorded in the discussion was to purchase three vehicles now and to allow purchase of vehicles and equipment with remaining funds by the end of the fiscal year; no roll-call vote or tally is recorded in the provided segments.
Why it matters: the decision reallocates SB22 sheriff funds toward fleet replacement and equipment, potentially reducing next year’s vehicle budget needs but raising questions about whether hiring priorities (open jail positions) will be met before certain jail-specific funds can be used.
Next steps: staff will process dealer quotes, arrange vehicle pickup, and monitor SB22 balances and open positions before additional spending decisions later in the fiscal year.
