September 13, 2016

Humvees’ purchase draws dispute

Humvees’ purchase draws dispute

By Jack Dura
Farmer Staff Writer

Discussion grew tense between McKenzie County Commissioners and Sheriff Gary Schwartzenberger when recent Humvee purchases drew questions from constituents that commissioners couldn’t answer.
Schwartzenberger purchased three high mobility, multipurpose, wheeled vehicles, or Humvees, for $3,500 from the state surplus store to utilize two for search and rescue, extraction and off-road operations while keeping one of the vehicles for parts.
The purchase drew some contention between Schwartzenberger and Commissioners at their Sept. 7 meeting as the sheriff questioned why his department should fall in line with others when bringing budgeted items to the commission.
“Typically, all the other departments that do these things come in prior to submitting bills. They have this discussion, all the questions we’ve asked today, we approve it,” Commissioner Doug Nordby said. “I see what you’re doing is backwards from what everyone else does in the county.”

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