Benton County Vehicles Set For Auction

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County officials say the number of vehicles available at this year's surplus property auction should draw plenty of interest.

"We have probably twice as many vehicles to sell this year," said Terry Lewis, county property manager. "I know there's more stuff yet to come and they had no problem selling last year."

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Surplus Auction

A list of items for sale at the 2014 Benton County surplus auction is available on the county website at www.bentoncountyar.…

The auction is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at the Road Department yard, 1204 S.W. 14th St. The sale will feature vehicles from the Sheriff's Office and Road Department. Vehicles from the Assessor's Office, the fire service and from Rogers and Bella Vista also will be sold. Other items for sale include office furniture and partitions, chairs and cabinets.

Last year's auction raised $57,294.48 for the county, Lewis said. Of that, $36,288.24 went into the county's general fund and $19,994.23 went to the Road Department. The Assessor's Office received $734.87 and the Collector's Office received $277.14.

Rob Holly, chief deputy with the Sheriff's Office, said the larger number of vehicles being offered for sale is a result of an increased emphasis on drug enforcement cases where vehicles and other property is seized.

"The money goes into the prosecutor's drug fund," Holly said. "That fund is shared by the Sheriff's Office and several other agencies. We use it for all our 'buy' money and we also use it to purchase vehicles and surveillance equipment."

The number of vehicles and cash seized by the office has increased in recent years, according to information compiled by detective Rick Keyes, crime analyst with the Sheriff's Office.

The office seized $10,217 in cash and two vehicles in 2012. That increased to $84,547 in cash and 38 vehicles in 2013. The office has seized $45,975 in cash and 11 vehicles from January through June of this year.

County Judge Bob Clinard said there are rules that govern county property and what is made available at the auction. Items with no value can be disposed of through a county court order, he said.

"The Assessor's Office has to give it a zero value for us to just dispose of it," he said. "The auction items, they do assess them and they declare them to have a certain value."

County employees and their family members are not allowed to bid on county property being offered at the auction, Clinard said. County employees can bid on items offered by the cities, he said.

NW News on 07/21/2014

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