Union County Council authorizes purchase and financing for new tasers for sheriff and detention center

Union County Council voted Sept. 10 to authorize the county supervisor to enter a four-year, zero-interest agreement with AXON to purchase new tasers for the Union County Sheriff’s Office and the Union County Detention Center. The council voted unanimously to proceed.

Chairman Phillip G. Russell, II presented financing details to the council, saying the sheriff had secured a grant to cover the Sheriff’s Office first-year payment and the Detention Center would use commissary funds for its first-year payment. Chairman Russell proposed using the grant to fund a $38,058.64 down payment for the Sheriff’s equipment. After the first year, the county would pay about $26,580.42 per year from capital funds for the Sheriff’s Office and the Detention Center would make four annual payments of $18,458.99 from commissary funds, according to the proposal. Council members were told there is approximately $92,000 currently in the commissary fund.

Councilman John Flood moved to allow the supervisor to enter the agreement with the proposed funding sources; Councilwoman Annie Smith seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Sheriff Jeff Bailey said the new devices are expected to last eight to ten years. Chairman John Glenn noted the new units allow multiple discharges before cartridge replacement, and Sheriff Bailey confirmed replacement cartridges are included in the agreement.

The council was told there is no impact to the current year’s general fund budget: the sheriff’s grant and commissary funds cover the initial year’s payments, and subsequent payments were allocated to capital and commissary funding streams.

The measure authorizes the supervisor to finalize the purchase and financing arrangement; council members asked procedural and operational questions before the unanimous vote.