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PARKERSBURG - The Wood County Sheriff wants to borrow money from the county to purchase a new armored response vehicle and then reimburse the county once expected federal money is granted.
Sheriff Rick Woodyard appeared before the Wood County Commission Thursday to give an update on his plans to replace the 20-year-old vehicle that has been used by the department for the last 15 years and has been deployed repeatedly during high-risk incidents involving armed or barricaded subjects.
Woodyard said once the order is made, it will take 22 months to receive it and payment would not be due until that time.
They are looking at a lease to own option which would include 7 percent interest, if they go that route, Woodyard said.
He was looking at funding available now that could go towards the vehicle. The sheriff also believed they had federal money coming in at some point for this purchase, but he is not exactly sure when they are going to get it.
"I believe we will have the money to pay for this long before the 22 months before we would even have to ask for a loan," Woodyard said. "I would rather borrow the money (from the commission) and pay you back rather than go to a loan company and have to pay the seven percent interest."
A new armored response vehicle runs around $370,000, according to the sheriff.
The current armored response vehicle is a 2003 model they bought used.
Recent deployments include incidents on 25th Street, 30th Street, Buckeye Street, Elm Street, Lynn Street, Forrest Drive/Abbey Village, and 13th Street at Avery where people were armed and firing on police. The vehicle sustained multiple 9mm impacts.
The vehicle has also provided protected positions for officers and specialized equipment, assisted with rescue and extraction operations and provided a secure platform for communication and de-escalation, officials said adding in the majority of the incidents the vehicle responded to, no officers, civilians or suspects were injured.
Commission President Blair Couch said the commission did not like having to bind future commissions and sheriff's offices to a payback after the current leadership changed.
Woodyard is running for a seat on the county commission in November. If he wins, he will step down as sheriff and someone else will take over.
"I do think it is a legitimate expense," Couch continued. "We can go ahead and sign off on it."
Couch said as long as the sheriff's department gets the federal money they are expecting, it can be paid back to the county immediately. Woodyard is expecting to receive around $600,000 in federal funds.
He said the sheriff usually does well with his budget and usually presents money back to the county at the end of the fiscal year.
Couch instructed Woodyard to draw up the necessary paperwork and they would handle it.
In other business:
* Wood County 911 Director Dale McEwuen asked the commission for an increase in the budget line items that cover the cost of utilities for both the current 911 Center and the former facility on Core Road. The old facility is still being used by sheriff's personnel for physical fitness. McEwuen said they went back a year and did an average of the utility costs.
"Any help would be appreciated," he said.
The commission is waiting on the figures and will consider what to do.
* The commission approved appointing Mary Ellen Brown to the Wood County Community Corrections Board.
* The commission announced vacancies on the Claywood PSD and Union Williams PSD boards.