[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6165924,"mediaKeyId","5416817-32c2c93f6da10cff1e036f96c3f17911","parentId",5416817,"title","Cumberland County jail running ‘abnormally’; staffing and outside‑housing declines reshape jail budget","audioSeconds",2067,"startMs",2205000,"endMs",4272000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5416817-32c2c93f6da10cff1e036f96c3f17911&start=2205&end=4272","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5416817-32c2c93f6da10cff1e036f96c3f17911/thumbnail_2205000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6165924/Cumberland-County/Maine/Cumberland-County-jail-running-abnormally-staffing-and-outsidehousing-declines-reshape-jail-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165924-0b136ea89837f35b7763f0c8f9ab12ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1775226218&Signature=ernpGShbfpdQTULal2ce9M4Gmtb7C7dpyTbODQqklaRg6P5EHVqzKGjlO3RbEc8GqwXdQYoYmL-8N0B1iV7k~Vio59PjvpR5OE5Kh1wXfvLFEcT~tjVt-tcjxGXgd0bWOJGRIuR7x0VS8RzKPww31MiU~gNtW~80ncoy8f8Y2zg-xFbC6o4EyckSgucoChD~4Hwr6tC87QVr6zAVoYS2KhSzpNYxFW7zqkye9gQ1z6P94Orel~pl0Q1QxxvR~bbS1TbVd8u3pja2mqMP0ksF8CclS07rjVPCx2sm-rWQWMI3M0J9NYyBEnp7wXezdxQE1zpFwRoSWDcEMsltax~BbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cumberland County, ME","date","2025-07-18T05:21:17.5Z","article","County finance staff told the Cumberland County Finance Committee on July 13 that the Cumberland County jail is operating “abnormally,” with significantly reduced inmate counts, falling outside contracts and continuing corrections staffing shortages that materially changed revenue and expense patterns for the current year and the coming budget.

Alex Kimball, deputy manager of finance and administration, summarized the problems: “It is running down. I think the latest number was we are down 60 corrections officers,” Kimball said. He told the committee that wages and payroll lines were coming in well under budget because shifts were not being filled; at the same time revenues tied to housing outside inmates have fallen or disappeared, producing a large positive variance to the current-year fund balance while creating near‑term uncertainty for future years.

Why it matters: The county typically budgets to the jail as if operations are normal; staff said they are keeping contract positions and budgeted full‑time wages in place to avoid creating a “cliff” in future years that would force abrupt tax increases or program cuts. The committee heard that several revenue lines have dropped: U.S. Marshals housing has trended “south,” ICE placements are effectively zero, and work‑release revenue is also at zero for much of the year. Kimball and County Manager Jim Gailey warned that those declines, combined with the state funding formula (the board of corrections payment is tied to a statewide share), require cautious use of the county’s accumulated fund balance.

Supporting facts and figures: Kimball said the wages line – a large component of the jail budget – was significantly under budget for the year because many shifts were open and unfilled. He also told the committee that the county’s share under the board of corrections arrangement had fallen from the budgeted share of roughly 20% to about 18.7% of state inmates, a factor that reduced expected state payments. Kimball said the county is planning to use about $700,000 of prior-year fund balance for the coming year’s jail budget to smooth operations while staff continue recruiting and while broader structural questions are resolved.

Staffing and recruitment: Committee members asked about vacancies and trends. The group discussed earlier vacancy counts (Kimball and the committee recalled roughly 68 openings with 64 of them in corrections during an earlier point in the hiring cycle). Kimball said the exodus of corrections staff had slowed to a “trickle,” and recruitment efforts are under way, but “it is a very, very, very slow process to hire our corrections officer.” Gailey and Kimball noted that promotional positions (sergeants, lieutenants) are generally filled more consistently and that the primary shortage is at the corrections officer level.

Medical, contracted services and operating costs: Kimball explained that inmate medical and medication costs are a growing line item — the jail functions in many respects as a mini health provider for inmates and pays directly for pharmaceuticals and contract medical staffing. He said contracted medical services have required multiple contract increases and that certain medications (for example, Hepatitis-related treatment cited in committee discussion) can be expensive.

Budget approach and risks: Finance staff described a budgeting approach that leaves full‑position budget authority in place for the jail (rather than reducing the authorized payroll to match current, reduced staffing) to avoid an unmanageable jump later if operations return to normal. That approach also preserves the county’s ability to hire when staffing becomes available. Kimball and Gailey warned, however, that the situation creates multiple future paths the county must monitor, including reopening the community corrections center, a potential state lease of that space, or even a broader regional solution if staffing and population trends persist.

Ending: The committee received the presentation as an informational briefing. Staff said they will continue to watch Marshals and DOC placements, recruit for corrections positions and return to the committee during the formal budget process with updated numbers.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2022 July Finance Committee","oneSentenceSummary","County finance staff told the Finance Committee on July 13 that the Cumberland County jail is operating far below historical norms: inmate counts and contracts for out‑of‑county and federal prisoners have fallen while the jail is about 60 corrections officers short.","taxTitle","Cumberland County, Maine","taxId",2576,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6165928,"Cross Insurance Arena posts stronger-than-expected May, projects conservative $512,000 loss for next fiscal year",1828,291000,2119000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5416817-32c2c93f6da10cff1e036f96c3f17911&start=291&end=2119","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5416817-32c2c93f6da10cff1e036f96c3f17911/thumbnail_291000.jpg","/articles/6165928/Cumberland-County/Maine/Cross-Insurance-Arena-posts-stronger-than-expected-May-projects-conservative-512000-loss-for-next-fiscal-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165928-ceed8529d5d0a1c1dbb9a3b1bee67a82/orig.mp4?Expires=1775226218&Signature=NO5LpWBxZyEMwDz423SGHjcN7mPtPUg3YagBfPtqTTv6Xg~E5C~HM-5fglvWiW-AHLCyKXG8CcuPYUBxoLQ2JL0i0yqrZD-PiwJLRT5BierJpjj82VqTVnVFRbL92ZZkS~0nZ2umSxBBPklyslRwOhDKLrFJj9dGJ8~RzO9D9tq5cmPaZYpcNncaav6uvrwqpLF6qS79vfMlUZX6AkyPIqJp3uZs4cm1SSrtME6Y0ZoJ3NDdwZlsbELmU1UxMWLXiEn8mqiqlNY0wvRiYcnZzmxjIXkOiMR~PPUNeUGGyjZBL4TxxbDtaIy5INz9QA6z2JYWHOWAVKaARjlJmTH3aA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cross Insurance Arena manager Mike Loconti told the Cumberland County Finance Committee on July 13 that the arena outperformed the budget through May and that he is proposing a conservative operating budget for the next fiscal year that projects a $512,000 loss. Loconti said an unexpectedly busy event schedule in the months after pandemic restrictions eased produced the swing.

The arena’s manager said, “We broke records in May,” and explained that the facility hosted three college graduations (almost 20,000 people total that month), a Chicago concert, Megadeth, family shows including Trolls, and Blue Man Group. Loconti said those events produced about $57,000 in event rental revenue in May against a budgeted $86,000 loss for the month, a variance he described as roughly $143,000. He also reported roughly $48,000 in other income (sponsorships and ticketing fees) and lower-than-budgeted direct expenses ($171,000 actual vs. $195,000 budgeted), which together produced a strong monthly result.

Why it matters: The May results narrowed what had been a projected annual loss. Loconti said the 11-month view through May showed a budgeted loss of about $750,000 for the year but an actual positive position of about $191,000 — a variance of roughly $949,000 from the original plan. Despite that performance, Loconti said he set a conservative projection for the coming fiscal year because event volume is uncertain: “I said we’re gonna have 100 events the next fiscal year. That’s not guaranteed,” he told the committee.

Details and supporting facts: Loconti described one show, an urban act promoted as “Hot Summer” (Russ and YG), that produced an unusually high concessions per-capita figure. “I was budgeting maybe $10 per person, and we topped out at about $24 a person,” he said, underlining how a few higher‑spending audiences can materially change revenue. Loconti also summarized capital items outside the operating statement: a digital exterior marquee being coordinated with the city and funded from ARPA revenue loss funds, a new audio system (about $80,000) and a Wi‑Fi upgrade (about $20,000).

Alex Kimball, deputy manager of finance and administration, clarified how arena numbers feed county presentations and confirmed that the arena operating results include the management fee. “That 202,000 is actually already in the net operating income of 191,278,” Kimball said when the committee reviewed the financial sheets.

Loconti said he expects the arena’s event mix and the industry’s touring schedules to remain the largest variable for future performance. He told the committee he deliberately made next year’s budget conservative — both to avoid overstating revenue and to prevent creating a future cliff if bookings do not materialize. “My job…is the bottom line,” he said. He added that he is continuing active efforts to book more shows (he cited goals of 119–124 events as a stretch target) and to diversify the calendar, including smaller-format shows made possible by a new half-house curtain and a planned Comic Con event in spring.

What the committee will do next: Committee members asked several operational and revenue questions about concessions pricing, insurance pass‑throughs, and staffing capacity. No formal vote or budget adoption took place at the July 13 meeting; the presentation was informational ahead of the formal budget process in September.

Ending: Loconti encouraged committee members to contact him with follow-ups and said he will continue to refine bookings and projections as contracts firm up. The committee’s next full review of the fiscal-year budget is expected in the fall when county staff present the 2023 budget materials to the committee.","Cross Insurance Arena officials told the Cumberland County Finance Committee on July 13 that event revenue through May exceeded the fiscal-year plan, producing a positive variance for the year-to-date; the arena’s manager proposed a conservative FY projection that assumes about 100 events and a $512,000 loss to avoid future budget cliffs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6165919,"County finance midyear snapshot: departmental expenses near 46%, registry of deeds remains strong",617,4703000,5320000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5416817-32c2c93f6da10cff1e036f96c3f17911&start=4703&end=5320","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5416817-32c2c93f6da10cff1e036f96c3f17911/thumbnail_4703000.jpg","/articles/6165919/Cumberland-County/Maine/County-finance-midyear-snapshot-departmental-expenses-near-46-registry-of-deeds-remains-strong","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6165919-b432cc393a7fa45eeca4017da325ff6d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775226218&Signature=D3hk5Chwo1Bbd1kqr3qTdZ88qePcUYUkje4lePahGH8YHRrXA4gCeHn1sEgBKbaV9QkgbG5E4tL39G47ez~sgzJogMoywsfkAzQxah2xBrjYQs81lbyLdmPVcW6xvg8QeNvPlJPGdBWvbdxcIvB9tR3HmWYv15GQsytBm~xcpwcjbNDCM9kmeYiI7hVrT4igWIcYS0wtA3qWHKWL97QLviuBfyihYbrJu8pGQNzjVrr7YnoI69iaB8Qedtrky500Qz7Rv45rLEfMBjlhYj7j2g8u-RGKvLf~jXJZGM0fW05WH0I35~q2PIvzrsdFm9NdaLFn5dJxZdAhO~8Ir7XJpw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy finance manager Alex Kimball and County Manager Jim Gailey presented the county’s midyear general fund overview to the Cumberland County Finance Committee on July 13 and said the county is cautiously optimistic about revenues but will watch several variable lines closely as the formal budget season begins.

Kimball told the committee the departmental payroll-and‑benefit slice of the general fund — the part he watches most closely — stood at about 46.2% of budget through the midyear review, compared with 43.5% at the same point in the prior year. “As long as we’re under 50, I’m happy,” Kimball said, noting that certain timing quirks and one‑time payments push month‑to‑month percentages.

Why it matters: The midyear review provides a snapshot that staff will use to prepare 6‑month and 12‑month budget materials for the fall. The update highlighted both revenue lines that are pacing below expectations (some emergency management reimbursements are received in arrears) and lines unexpectedly strong this year, most notably the registry of deeds and probate-related receipts.

Registry of deeds and other revenues: Kimball put the registry of deeds on the committee’s watch list. The office posted a strong “summer bump” that, combined with higher property values and transaction volumes, may represent a new normal above pre‑pandemic averages. “We may certainly help next year’s budget if this keeps on going,” Kimball said. Probate fees and related filings are also trending higher than expected; staff said the rise is consistent month‑to‑month and is not a single large outlier.

Other items the committee discussed included EMS/FEMA reimbursements (timing causes low early receipts), sheriff’s revenue trends that will need attention in the budget process, and how certain large IT and contracted fees appear early in the fiscal year (for example, Spillman software costs).

Budget process and schedule: Jim Gailey reminded the committee that the County Commissioners will hold a caucus on Aug. 8 to appoint any additional members to the finance committee and that new appointments will be sworn after Labor Day. Kimball and Gailey outlined a schedule to begin department‑by‑department reviews in September; staff noted they will present both a six‑month budget and a 12‑month fiscal budget this cycle as part of the county’s transition to a fiscal-year presentation.

Ending: Kimball said, “I think we’re looking pretty good… I’m certainly not concerned that we’re going to be heading into a negative fund balance for the year.” Committee members said they expect to reconvene in September for a fuller review when June and other close‑out numbers are finalized.","Deputy finance manager Alex Kimball and County Manager Jim Gailey presented a midyear general fund update on July 13 showing departmental expenses at about 46.2% of budget, strong registry of deeds receipts, and several revenue lines to watch; the committee was briefed on timing and next steps for the fall budget schedule.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cumberland County jail running ‘abnormally’; staffing and outside‑housing declines reshape jail budget

Cross Insurance Arena posts stronger-than-expected May, projects conservative $512,000 loss for next fiscal year

County finance midyear snapshot: departmental expenses near 46%, registry of deeds remains strong