SCOTT CO. – Sheriff Jerry Goodin slammed the county council in a Facebook video on Thursday for pulling all the money from his vehicle fund, among other cuts in its latest budget.
“Ford Motor Company is getting ready to repossess three motor vehicles from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office,” Goodin said in an 8-minute video posted on Facebook Thursday. “Not only is that an embarrassment to the sheriff’s office, it’s an embarrassment to the folks of Scott County.”
Sheriff Goodin purchased three new Ford F-150 police vehicles in March 2023 with the approval of the Scott County Commission. Goodin told the commissioners he had the budget to finance them over five years. The commissioners said yes, but the council controls the county’s funds.
For all three vehicles, it will be five payments spread over five years,” Goodin said Friday.
The county is in default to the tune of $33,000 on a $143,000 loan.
In the Facebook video, Sheriff Goodin slams the county council for pulling all the money from the Sheriff’s vehicle fund, among other cuts in its latest budget.
However, the council said the money for the police vehicles was used to pay raises and hire full-time deputies. The council was not notified during budget hearings of the need for payment of a loan.
But Sheriff Goodin claims the council removed funding to make the payments. Sheriff Goodin said,” There Zero. Zero dollars,” Sheriff Goodin said. “We had already made one payment on these trucks; we already paid $33,000 on these trucks; they knew that.”
Funding for the vehicles will be addressed at the next council meeting on Tuesday, April 16.
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