Commissioners question $125,000 budget for general-fund vehicle replacement as county remains largely self-insured

Commissioners pressed county finance and public-works staff Monday over whether the $125,000 budgeted for general-fund vehicle replacement and collision repairs is adequate given the sheriff's fleet's size and replacement cost.

"It seems like an awful light number considering the value of a sheriff's vehicle," a commissioner said during the session. Sean Roe, a Public Works presenter, said the line historically covers collision repair costs and that the sheriff's office is the primary user of that fund.

"Historically, this has been used for collision repair, usually related to the sheriff's office," Roe said. He said smaller departments seldom use the fund and that the county has, in prior years, depleted the account and made up the difference from vehicle reserves and internal allocations. Roe described repair examples ranging from $15,000 structural repairs to full vehicle replacement costs.

Staff and commissioners discussed whether commercial collision coverage could be purchased instead of the current self-insured approach; staff said the county's risk pool does not provide comprehensive collision coverage for sheriff vehicles and that the sheriff fleet is classified as high risk. County staff agreed to explore alternatives with the county's insurance broker and to bring a more detailed analysis back to the board.

No formal policy change or appropriation was made at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to return with options, including cost comparisons of purchasing coverage versus continuing the current approach.