County reallocates vehicle funds to add sheriff deputies; board gives consensus to proceed

During the work session the county’s budget team and Assistant County Manager Daryl Butts outlined ARPA spending and other early FY26 trends, then described a sheriff's office proposal to reassign older but serviceable fleet vehicles instead of buying new units to fund additional deputy positions.

Butts (S15) explained the fiscal mechanics: the FY26 operating budget had approved six additional deputies already; the sheriff’s fleet audit identified about ten surplus or replaceable vehicles and, by reallocating funds previously budgeted for new vehicle purchases and upfits, the sheriff’s office could add four more deputies without seeking additional county revenue. "By not purchasing new vehicles and performing required upfits, the sheriff's office could save enough to hire four additional deputies," Butts said. Sheriff office leadership (the chief, S22) confirmed the older vehicles are in good working order with proper maintenance and the maintenance garage believes they can be held in service for multiple years with the county replacement plan.

Commissioners discussed longevity, operating costs and how additional positions would appear in future continuation budgets; board members signaled consensus to allow finance staff and the sheriff to proceed with internal budget transfers and necessary paperwork to bring the positions on line, with the understanding the recurring personnel costs would be part of the FY27 continuation budget. "We can handle all the budget transfers — it's within the sheriff's office budget," Butts said (S15). The direction was one of consensus rather than formal roll call vote; staff will report back with finalized transfers and scheduling.