Nelson supervisors agree to fund six sheriff vehicles, allocate $384,000 from one-time funds

The Nelson County Board of Supervisors agreed March 18 to fund six fully equipped Sheriff’s Office vehicles in its FY25 budget, allocating $384,000 from non-recurring funds to replenish a worn fleet.

Sheriff Mark E. Embrey told supervisors the office expects to be fully staffed on May 1 and outlined a vehicle-replacement rhythm of roughly three years and about 45,000 miles per vehicle per year; he said a new norm would be cycling at least five vehicles per year. Embrey also said the office plans to phase out sedans in favor of Ford Explorer SUVs for additional space and a higher safety rating.

Board members debated the original seven-vehicle request and the effect on non-recurring funds. County finance director Linda K. Staton said a fully equipped vehicle would cost about $65,000; staff had reduced the initial seven-vehicle request ($448,000) to a four-vehicle baseline ($253,068) before the Board added two more to reach six vehicles at $384,000. Ms. McGarry said using one-time carryover funds would finance the purchase.

Supervisors also agreed to remove the ECC First Response Vehicle ($72,500 savings) and to reconsider the Motor Pool vehicle so county departments could use functioning spares returned from the Sheriff’s Office. The Board directed staff to coordinate vehicle transfers and to monitor revenue receipts that could support additional one-time purchases later in the fiscal year.

The decision was recorded as Board consensus rather than a separate roll-call vote; staff noted current Non-Recurring balances of approximately $313,288 after the adjustments.

Sheriff Embrey estimated procurement and outfitting timelines of less than 30–60 days for acquisition plus about a month for outfitting through regional suppliers, and described procurement channels including the Virginia Sheriffs Association.