Carroll County sheriff says he will give 90-day notice to end inmate-housing agreement with Calhoun County; Calhoun attorney calls move retaliatory

Carroll County Sheriff (name not specified) told the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 20 that he intends to give 90 days’ written notice to terminate the county’s agreement to house Calhoun County inmates, citing paperwork problems and inmate-release timing issues.

The announcement came during the sheriff’s quarterly presentation to the board. The sheriff said the jail took in $170,397.13 in room-and-board revenue for the quarter ending in September, and said Polk County has told Carroll it is willing to “backfill” any lost inmate population if the Calhoun agreement ends. "They're willing to backfill. They'll give us as many as we want," the sheriff said.

Why it matters: The agreement helps generate jail revenue for Carroll County and is used by neighboring counties to house sentenced and pretrial detainees. Calhoun and Sac officials say ending the agreement could shift revenue and transportation costs. At least one Calhoun official accused the sheriff of retaliating after a Calhoun press release about a proposed jail bond and the prospect of future inmate transfers to Sac County.

Calhoun and Sac county attorney Dan Smith told the board he placed the item on the agenda to raise concerns about the timing and reason for the sheriff’s planned termination. "What sheriff Pamery didn't tell you is that I placed this on the agenda because it would have been nice if you have been straightforward with you guys and came up here and said, I'm canceling the contract because I threw a fit because the Calhoun County attorney, Ben Smith, put out a press release," Smith said in the meeting. Smith also said the press release estimated roughly $122,000 in revenue would go to Calhoun if a proposed Sac County jail bond passes.

Board members and other officials debated whether Carroll County’s elected sheriff has unilateral authority over out‑of‑county housing decisions. Several supervisors said the board has no direct control over the sheriff’s operational choices. At least one board member suggested the two counties try to resolve disputes outside an open meeting.

Officials referenced the current housing agreement as having begun on May 1, 2021, and said it was later updated — including a per-diem change noted in the meeting from $50 to $65 a day that was associated with an amendment or ordinance reference by staff. The sheriff said administrative problems, new and inexperienced clerks in Calhoun and late paperwork on releases contributed to his decision.

No formal termination motion or board action to cancel the agreement was put before the supervisors at the meeting. The sheriff stated he would provide written notice to Calhoun. Supervisors and other participants urged intergovernmental discussion and recommended county officials and the sheriff meet outside a public session to try to resolve the dispute.

Votes and other formal actions taken during the segment: the board approved the sheriff’s quarterly report (motion, voice vote; outcome: approved).