Chickasaw supervisors approve $25,911 upfit for 2025 sheriff Tahoe; sheriff says office will limit parade participation

The Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors on May 27 approved upfit services for a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe for the sheriff's office at $25,911.04.

The purchase was presented by Sheriff Ryan Shawber and approved by motion (mover: Scott; seconder: Steve) under the county's purchase-policy procedures because the contract exceeded the $10,000 informal threshold. The board voted "aye" and the motion carried.

Sheriff Ryan Shawber said the county received the quote from vendor Sector and that the price was lower than usual because the department could reuse some existing equipment, including tablets and chargers. "I'll pay for it now because they ordered the equipment," Shawber said when asked about timing. He told the board the vendor estimates delivery and installation in July, with the department adding two to three weeks to vendor timelines when estimating completion.

The upfit covers cameras, computers, lights and other vehicle-specific equipment needed to put the unit into service, Shawber said. He indicated the cost would come from his current fiscal-year budget.

Separately during the sheriff's report, Shawber told supervisors he had heard community complaints about the sheriff's office's presence at local events and said the office would not commit to leading parades this year or paying overtime to staff some events. "We're not part of our calendar ... don't plan on us to do it," Shawber said, adding that some long-standing activities that previously included sheriff participation may not include the office this year because of staffing and overtime concerns.

No further motions followed the parade remarks.

The board secretary at the start of the meeting identified that all supervisors were present and noted board secretary Sheila Shackleton in attendance. The board is scheduled to meet again for a special meeting the following morning.

Funding and delivery: Payment for the upfit was confirmed as immediate because equipment already had been ordered; delivery was estimated for July with a possible two- to three-week delay, per the sheriff.

Ending: The approved upfit will allow the sheriff's office to deploy the Tahoe once Sector completes installation; the sheriff said equipment reuse helped lower the price and that the office will return if additional approvals or budget changes are needed.