The Custer County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 31 adopted a resolution recognizing receipt of tangible assets obtained through the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO), with a reported total value of $1,161,619.88. The inventory the county accepted includes roughly $411,618 in equipment and approximately $750,000 in vehicles, the county said; among the vehicles is an MRAP armored vehicle currently parked at the sheriff's office.

Why it matters: the donation adds substantial equipment to the Custer County Sheriff's Office but carries conditions and liability considerations. County staff told the board the assets must be accounted for as both revenue and expense to zero out the accounting; if an item becomes beyond repair or the county no longer needs it, it must be returned to the military rather than sold.

What commissioners and the public asked
Commissioners and members of the public asked about insurance, maintenance and how the assets would be used. One meeting attendee, identified in the record as a resident, said, "Well, I haven't seen any tanks or or rocket launchers around. I'm curious where a $1,000,000 got donated." A staff member responded that the MRAP is an armored vehicle without a mounted gun and that tail-end liability and maintenance would be clarified in upcoming insurance adjustments. The staff member said, "if it ever breaks down to the point that it can't be repaired ... if we feel like we no longer need it, it has to go back to the military." Staff also listed other items in the donation: trailers, snow-plow attachments, tires and concertina wire; some tires were noted as being donated onward to a local entity (identified in the meeting as Rover Brake).

Accounting and next steps
County staff explained auditors recommended the county record the assets both as revenue and as a corresponding expense so the net effect is zero at year end. The resolution recognizing receipt of the assets (resolution 24-35) passed on a voice vote. Commissioners asked that liability coverage be clarified when the county's insurance renewal and adjustment arrive in January or February.

Public reaction and context
A few residents asked whether the county could retain or repurpose the rock and debris from a recent rockslide and discussed how CDOT mitigation contracts and county crusher contracts might interact; those remarks were separate but occurred in the same meeting and reflected public interest in how county and state resources are deployed following a geohazard event.

The board approved the resolution recognizing the receipt of tangible assets; staff said they will follow up with insurance carriers and the county's auditor to confirm coverage and disposition requirements.