Kane sheriff: Time is now to buy 15 patrol cars for $500,000

Saying a significant portion of his fleet "are not safe emergency vehicles any longer," Kane County Sheriff Don Kramer Thursday started a clock ticking on county board members to find $500,000.

Kramer told the board he needs the money to replace 15 patrol and command staff vehicles. It was a familiar request.

Kramer approached the board in 2015 and 2016 with warnings about the department's aging fleet. The board shot down Kramer's requests in order to help keep the county's property tax levy frozen. A similar request by Kramer to add the vehicle replacement costs into the 2017 budget went nowhere last October with board members telling him to "not get greedy."

Kramer prepared another request for new vehicles after it appeared various offices in the county's justice system successfully contributed enough savings from their 2016 budgets to help fund such a vehicle purchase. But last month, new calculations showed most of that savings didn't materialize.

County finance department staff members Thursday indicated there is money to fund Kramer's request, but it will be gone forever once it is spent.

The county has about $1.07 million sitting in a fund earmarked for public safety capital needs. In recent years, that fund has also been tapped to help fund the costs of providing security personnel in local courtrooms.

Last year, that support totaled $500,000. Finance department staffers said money, via the public safety sales tax, continues to flow into the fund. But the annual expenses that draw from that fund will mean the $1.07 million reserve balance would likely not be replenished anytime soon if the board spends it.

Kramer tabled his request for the money Thursday to allow for further debate before recording any votes. But he left board members with an emotional appeal about the real impacts of possibly letting patrol vehicles fall apart.

"When you call 911, you want a car there right away," Kramer said. "They are driven hard so they can get to your house as soon as possible. The harder they are driven, the more likely they are to fail. I don't see how we can wait on this any longer."

The board's judicial and public safety committee asked several questions about how much more money Kramer will need in the future to replace the rest of the sheriff's fleet. Fifteen vehicles represent about 20 percent of the office's front-line vehicles. Kramer said he would like to replace 19 vehicles right now. But he feels like he could get one more year out of four of those to keep the current replacement cost at about $500,000.

Even if the county board gives Kramer the money, it will take about seven months before the new vehicles can be shipped, outfitted and put on the road.

Board members said they will take the next 30 days to contemplate Kramer's request.