The Valley Grande City Council continued its discussion with the Dallas County Sherriff’s Department this week.

Valley Grande mayor Matt Dobbs met with Dallas County Sherriff-Elect Mike Granthum on Monday about the purchase of a new SUV for the department. The vehicle would cost over $30,000 plus $3,500 for lights and equipment. The city has $113,000 of its 2019 budget dedicated to the Sherriff’s Department.

“My request to them was ‘what’s our return on the investment?’” Dobbs said. “I told him ‘we’ll consider doing it if you give us a little more control.’”

Granthum, who officially takes office in January, told Dobbs that “he’ll look into it.”

The discussion focused on having a vehicle devoted exclusively to Valley Grande, which the City Council wants.

“Granthum said ‘the vehicle will spend 80 percent of its time in Valley Grande,’” Dobbs said. “He couldn’t commit to us 100 percent because the vehicle would be in a rotation with other parts of Dallas County.’’

Council member Tammy Troha’s suggestion was to have the city buy a car and hire a security person to patrol Valley Grande on a regular 40-hour week work schedule.

Having a deputy assigned to Valley Grande and drive the new vehicle was another idea the Council discussed. No votes were cast.

Dobbs said the council will have a future work session in the future to discuss the Dallas County Sherriff’s Department. 

Talks between the two sides began at the previous Valley Grande Council meeting on June 18 when Grantham and Dallas County Sergeant John Hartfield appeared.

Present at Monday’s meeting were Dobbs, Troha, city clerk Janet Frazier, and other council members Ronald Sawyer, Lamar Morgan and Jimmy Johnson. Tim White was the only member absent.

The next Valley Grande City Council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 6.