Resident urges inquiry into alleged sheriff's office credit-card misuse; commissioners to invite sheriff

John Lewis, a resident who said he has lived and worked in the area since 2009, told county commissioners that he had been told an employee of the sheriff’s office had "misused county credit card" and asked the panel to instigate an inquiry into the conduct.

Lewis said the alleged misuse amounted to "personal gain" from tax dollars and that similar conduct dated back "over years" during a prior administration, though he did not specify amounts. "It's a guy who's misusing the credit card," Lewis said, adding, "Something should be done." The allegations included a separate claim that an employee threatened a neighbor and faced only administrative discipline, not criminal charges.

Commissioners did not open a formal investigation during the meeting. A commissioner responding to Lewis said, "We can certainly talk to the sheriff and see what he can tell us about it," and suggested inviting the sheriff to a future meeting so he could respond to the concerns. "I think we ought to bring the sheriff in to talk about that with you," the commissioner said. Another member of the panel said staff would "try to get him here next week." These comments were framed as a follow-up step rather than a formal motion or vote.

Lewis also questioned whether the sheriff or his office benefited when cruisers were run through a privately owned car wash that had been described as a donation. Commissioners acknowledged they knew the sheriff had been generous with donated car washes but said they had no details about any tax or business treatment and wanted the sheriff to explain.

The meeting closed without any recorded vote, motion, or formal referral to an investigator. Commissioners told Lewis to watch the posted agenda or call in next week to see whether the sheriff would appear. The chair reminded attendees the next meeting is scheduled for next Thursday at 9 a.m.

The allegations remain the resident’s claims; commissioners said they would seek the sheriff's response at a future meeting. No criminal charges, formal investigation, or financial figures were presented during this session.