Tempers flare as Judge, Sheriff argue over canceled purchase of transport van, sheriff’s budget

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 — Tempers flared during Tuesday night’s Nelson Fiscal Court meeting during a discussion about the proposed purchase of a new prisoner transport van by the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office.

Near the end of the meeting, Magistrate Jeff Lear asked the court for clarification regarding vehicles the county planned to purchase for the sheriff’s office — including a change in plans regarding the purchase of new prisoner transport van.

Judge-Executive Tim Hutchins noted that three new Ford Explorer police Interceptor models are on order for the sheriff’s office, as well as a new Chevy Tahoe SUV to replace one that was totaled in a crash.

“I’m just trying to get some clarity” about the vehicles that have been ordered, Magistrate Jeff Lear told Hutchins.

Nelson County Sheriff Ramon Pineiroa said he and the magistrates all received an email from Hutchins earlier that day stating that he planned to cancel the purchase of the prisoner transport van.

The sheriff’s office purchases two vehicles a year, Pineiroa explained, and since his term as sheriff was ending Dec 31st, instead of purchasing two Tahoe SUVs, he decided to purchase one Tahoe SUV and a new prisoner transport van that will be shared between the Nelson County Jail and the sheriff’s office.

Hutchins said the cost of the transport van kept becoming more expansive as needed safety equipment and its installation was factored in. When fiscal court approved the purchase of the van, the court gave Hutchins the right to spend up to $75,000 on the new transport van.

But the cost of the van increased nearly $5,000 after fiscal court approved the purchase to roughly $79,000. Pineiroa said the cost increase was because the rear air conditioning system had to be disconnected for installation of safety equipment, and then reconnected.

In the email he sent Tuesday about the transport van, Hutchins said he would not ask fiscal court to increase its funding for the vehicle.

Hutchins explained that the transport van was never in the budget. To pay for the van, Nelson County Jailer Justin Hall offered to contribute $50,000 from the jail commissary fund, with additional funding coming from the sheriff’s office seizure funds.

When the total of the transport van hit $79,000, Hutchins said he made the decision not to purchase the van.

Hutchins noted that the audit of the 2025-26 sheriff’s office budget showed that the sheriff’s office overspent its budget by more than $200,000. The money the sheriff’s office budgeted for vehicles in that year’s budget was used to cover a portion of the sheriff’s office overspending, he explained.

The discussion turned more heated when Pineiroa said Hutchins “had a lot of fake news coming out of his mouth,” at which point Hutchins cut Pineiroa off and told him he “was out of order.”

Magistrate Jeff Lear asked Pineiroa for information on his vehicle needs, which he said he would provide. Hutchins told Lear he had all the information about the vehicles he had and would share it with him.

After a short executive session regarding the purchase or sale of real estate, the meeting concluded.

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