Turrell still wants old county cop car

Turrell still wants old county cop car

City hopes to acquire 2011 Dodge Charger from Sheriff’s Office

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Turrell Mayor Dorothy Cooper is still interested in buying a used sheriff’s department car for the city to use, but may have to pay the assessed value, which is more than they can afford.

Cooper told the Quorum Court that Sheriff Mike Allen told her that he wanted to donate the vehicle to the city, but that the city is willing to pay for the car.

“I told him that if it was something the city had to pay on, that we would give him $500,” Cooper said. “I suggested that to him.”

The car is a 2011 Dodge Charger with about 130,000 miles on it.

The Sheriff’s Department has six vehicles that it is planing to auction on the website govdeals.com.

Allen was not at the August Quorum Court meeting, but has said that he is willing to sell the car to Cooper. However, he added that it is up to the Quorum Court to determine what they want to do. Justice Vickie Robertson said Allen claims he did not offer to donate the car.

“He’s not here so I don’t want to get into a he saidshe said,” Robertson said.

“But he said that they could sell you the car for the minimum price. But he said he did not say he would give you the car. I have to go by what he is saying.”

The vehicles do not sell for top dollar, but still sell for several thousand dollars.

Justice Hubert Bass asked County Attorney Joe Rogers what the law says about donating county property.

“If it was to be donated, what would that procedure be?” Bass inquired.

According to Rogers, the county can only give away property that has been declared surplus that does not have any value.

“They would have to determine that it was surplus with no material value,” Rogers said. “And there is a provision where you have to get it appraised. You have to follow that procedure.”

State law also requires that public property can’t be sold for less than 75 percent of the appraised value.

County Judge Woody Wheeless said he isn’t familiar with the car in question, but said in the past the county assessor has inspected each vehicle to determine its assessed value.

“I know when we were working to dispose of county trucks, the first thing I did was contact (Assessor Kim) Hollowell and her office,” Wheeless said.

“She went out and viewed the vehicles, and she was the one responsible for putting a value on the vehicles.”

Wheeless said the county then advertises the vehicles and takes sealed bids for them.

Justice Stacy Allen said the car in question is going to have a higher value than Turrell is offering to pay.

“It’s going to be worth more than $500,” Allen said.

Robertson suggested Cooper meet with Wheeless to determine the vehicle’s value and whether the county can sell it to them at a set price.

“I suggest you get together with the judge and he will get with the assessor,” Robertson said. “There is no way we can determine the value.”

By Mark Randall