As part of his Commissary Budget information to the Marshall County Council, Sheriff Matt Hassel explained he had to increase the amount for police vehicles.
“The Ford Explorer has been our choice. We normally got it for $27,000 a vehicle. I was informed in December when I put my feelers out to the vehicle market that 2019 Ford Explorer police packages were no longer available and I would have to order 2020 and it’s a new model year. The 2020s list out at $34,000,” explained Hassel.
He made up the budget for vehicles in July 2018 and didn’t anticipate the jump in price as the price had been the same for a few years.
Sheriff Hassel said he was going to purchase four new vehicles, but then an incident in December increased the requested number.
“We had an officer running with lights and sirens to a fight in Culver involving a knife when a deer decided to walk out in front of him. So, we totaled out a 2017 Ford Explorer. Right now I don’t have enough money in my budget to replace five cars. If I could use some out of the Commissary that would make up the difference this year and we’d make it up in future years.”
They will trade in four cars and the insurance company is expected to give the county $18,500 for the car damaged after hitting the deer.
The Commissary Fund budget was approved with the requests as presented.
