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Last-Minute Payment Averts Repossession of 41 Lorain County Sheriff Cruisers

A last-minute payment kept the fleet on the road, underscoring unresolved budget tensions.

Overview

  • Sheriff Jack Hall said two checks totaling $57,031.37 were approved and sent to Enterprise Fleet Management, bringing the account current.
  • An Enterprise default notice warned that 41 mostly marked patrol vehicles risked repossession if payment was not received by Feb. 9.
  • Deputies had begun stripping weapons and equipment from cruisers as a precaution, a directive Hall rescinded once payment authorization came through.
  • County commissioners called the episode a manufactured crisis and argued the sheriff is responsible for paying invoices, citing an earlier $13,583 balance.
  • Hall attributed the lapse to reduced funding and delayed purchasing authority as countywide cuts also shutter the Turning Point youth shelter and shorten auditor office hours.