Prosecutor's take-home vehicle request tabled; board directs legal review of proximity-based hybrid option

The Board of Johnson County Commissioners took up a request from the prosecutor's office for a county take-home vehicle and voted Aug. 25 to pause approval and direct staff and legal counsel to develop a proximity-based hybrid arrangement for further review.

Matt Cabock, identified in the meeting as a member of the prosecutor's office, told the board that the number of active homicide investigations in a typical year is "anywhere between 5 to maybe 10," and that recent cases had required around-the-clock attention. Commissioners noted the employee27s daily commute of about 92 miles round trip and said that approving a permanent take-home vehicle for a staff member who lives two counties away could set an undesirable precedent.

One commissioner proposed a hybrid, proximity-based approach: allow a take-home vehicle only when the officer or investigator is working at a site they will need to return to the next day and when that site is closer to the employee27s home than to the county seat. Another commissioner moved that the board review the legal implications and potential contract modification; that motion was seconded and approved. The board asked staff and legal counsel to return with recommended contract language and legal analysis before deciding on a permanent arrangement.

Why it matters: Take-home vehicle policies involve ongoing operating costs and set internal precedent for when county vehicles may be used for commuting. The board27s decision to study a proximity-based hybrid arrangement delays any immediate approval and requires legal review.

What the record shows: The transcript records the commute distance (approximately 92 miles round trip), the prosecutor27s estimate of active homicide matters (52010 per year), and the board vote to develop and review a modified, proximity-based policy; no final approval of a take-home vehicle was recorded.