While probing the sale of the county’s $130,000-plus surveillance van to a Nashville bail bondsman, Bradley County commissioners made another discovery: The county sheriff’s office has auctioned off at least five vehicles so far this year without commissioners’ OK.
The new information adds urgency to the commission’s push to revise rules on disposing of county assets, some commissioners say.
“Anything that needs to be sold or moved or disposed of should be approved by the commission,” Chairman Louie Alford said in an interview last week.
After Sheriff Eric Watson and his top aide on April 4 gave what some commissioners called unsatisfactory answers to questions about the van sale, Commissioner Thomas Crye called for a review of asset disposal rules and Alford appointed an ad hoc committee to make recommendations.
Alford said Thursday he had just learned the sheriff’s department appeared to have disposed of equipment without commissioners’ permission, which would violate county policy.