Committee backs reallocating town capital funds to cover unapproved Jackpot golf course equipment purchase

Elko County Budget Committee members voted to recommend that the County Commission reallocate town capital project funds to pay invoices for golf course equipment purchased for the Jackpot Golf Course that were not approved in the fiscal‑year budget.

Staff said the equipment purchase totaled $113,976.32 and was placed by Brent Fleischman, the contractor who runs the golf course under a lease agreement. "He took it upon himself, and he went ahead and purchased this equipment," a county staff member said, and invoices were subsequently received by county finance. Staff explained the equipment had been shown in preliminary budgets but was not approved because the vendor indicated the equipment would not be available until fiscal 2025.

Committee members said the purchase bypassed normal approval controls and urged procedural fixes. One committee member warned the incident "could become an audit finding," and others asked for clearer spending authority and pre‑purchase approvals for capital expenditures. Staff said they will reiterate procedures to Brent and the town so the process is followed going forward.

A committee member moved to reallocate $200,000 from the town building capital allocation to cover the unbudgeted purchases; the motion was seconded and the committee voted to forward the recommendation to the County Commission for approval. The recommendation covers the current invoices and directs staff to tighten internal controls for capital purchases.