INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Board of County Commissioners Tuesday approved $800,000 for 20 new patrol cars to bolster what Sheriff Deryl Loar described as an aging fleet in his request for vehicles.
Loar said a third of his patrol cars have more than 100,000 miles on their odometers.
“You may say your personal vehicle has more than 100,000, but these are not personal vehicles,” Loar said. “We dispatch 80,000 police cars each year . . . and they are not going to pick up a stray dog. These are heavy calls.”
Loar said the older cars are expensive to maintain and implied they cause safety issues for deputies and the community.
Loar received immediate support from board chairman Joe Flescher, a former police officer, who said he had looked at the sheriff’s department fleet and fleet records and spoken with deputies about the condition of the cars.
“I feel confident and comfortable what you are asking for is a need, not a want,” Flescher said. “I am almost alarmed that there are no new vehicles on your lot. You do need new patrol cars.”
Commissioner Bob Solari immediately objected saying the sheriff was supposed to present capital requests in his annual budget request. He also diverged from the topic to complain the sheriff had not been providing quarterly budget reports.
Commissioner Davis countered Solari: “I believe when the sheriff was here before we told him if he had needs he could come back and I am a man of my word. I am in favor of buying some cars today.”
Commissioner Peter O’Bryan sided with Davis and Flescher.
“The sheriff has done a good job of cutting costs and I believe it is time we start purchasing infrastructure [to catch up on purchases put off during the recession].”
County Administrator Joe Baird cautioned commissioners against rash spending when next year’s budget is still being determined and expressed concern that paying for new patrol cars now would cut into the county’s budget reserve.
Davis said he is seeing a noticeable increase in property values in 2013and believes the county has the revenue to provide the new cars.
When Solari continued to object, Loar said, “This board has to decide if public safety is your number one or number two priority.”
O’Bryan made a motion that was seconded by Flescher to approve $800,000 for new patrol cars and the motion passed over Solari’s objection.
As part of the motion, commissioners instructed staff to look for the best source of funds for the cars and report back whether the money should come out of the general fund or from some other source.
