Buena Vista supervisors approve new tasers and upgraded office chairs

The Buena Vista County Board of Supervisors this week approved a five-year contract to equip the sheriff’s office with new tasers after parts for the department’s older X26 units became unavailable. Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize the purchases and to allow Sheriff Kory Elston to sign the agreement, a move county leaders say will maintain officer safety and device reliability.

Sheriff Kory Elston said the deal with Axon supplies 15 tasers for full-time deputies and one unit for reserve officers at roughly $3,700 apiece. The procurement package includes training, updated policies and a five-year warranty, and funding is structured to be spread over five years at about $10,000 annually. The sheriff’s office also anticipates a trade-in of the old units that could return roughly $6,500 to offset costs.

In the same vote, the board approved purchasing eight heavy-duty "24-7" office chairs for the county communications center and jail — four chairs for each facility — at approximately $1,500 per chair. The total purchase, including shipping, is $12,829. Supervisors indicated the chair purchase addresses staff ergonomics and long-duty wear on workstations that operate 24 hours a day.

County officials said funding for both purchases may come from capital project dollars that must be spent by the end of June or from remaining CARES Act funds. That timing makes the decisions both a readiness purchase and a budget management choice, since capital dollars with expiration timelines often drive fiscal priorities late in the fiscal year.

For residents, the immediate implications are twofold: first, the sheriff’s office will replace equipment that can no longer be serviced, reducing the risk of in-field failures and supporting training tied to updated use policies. Second, how the county chooses to apply one-time capital or CARES funds affects future budgets and transparency on pandemic-era spending. The inclusion of formal training and policy revisions is a central accountability point; those elements shape how new devices are deployed and how incidents are documented.

The unanimous vote signals broad board support for replacing obsolete equipment and for investing in staff safety, though residents interested in oversight should watch how the sheriff’s office implements the updated policies and how trade-in proceeds are recorded in county accounts.

The takeaway? The county is investing now to keep officers and staff equipped and ready, but Buena Vista residents should follow the rollout and budget reporting. Our two cents? Ask to see the updated use policies and training schedules at the next supervisors meeting so you know how these tools will be used in your community.