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Winona County weighs options as state funding for Sentencing‑to‑Serve ends June 30
Summary
County staff recommended letting the state Sentencing‑to‑Serve program run through its current funding period and using budgeted funds for needed maintenance contracts after state support ends, while commissioners discussed but did not approve a long‑term county takeover.
Winona County officials on Tuesday discussed how to respond after the state announced it will end funding for the Sentencing‑to‑Serve (STS) program on June 30, leaving counties to decide whether to absorb the program, seek joint funding, or scale back operations.
The issue matters because STS crews have performed maintenance and parks work on county property; losing state funding could raise ongoing costs or require hiring to preserve current services.
Finance Director Chuck Elliott told the board the state’s proposed 2026–27 budget would eliminate the state contribution that covers roughly 75% of Winona County’s STS cost. “If this program were to end, there are other entities within Winona County that will continue to provide an opportunity for offenders to work on projects once the state funding ends,” Elliott said, adding that only about half of STS crew hours in recent years were spent on direct county property work.
Staff outlined three options: 1) absorb and run the program as a county operation (estimated ongoing cost about $160,000 plus roughly $35,000 in startup equipment), 2) pursue joint funding with neighboring counties, or 3) let the state program run to June 30, use budgeted funds now set aside (about $78,000) to contract for essential services through the remainder of the year, and re‑evaluate in the 2026 budget cycle. Elliott and operations staff said option 3 was the recommended, pragmatic step because participation and crew sizes have been declining.
Aaron (crew supervisor), who works with the STS crews, told the board the program’s crew sizes have frequently been less than one full crew on average and that much of the work that remained was outdoor maintenance such as parks work because of management and security constraints. “If we just did nothing,” Aaron said, “the parks and building maintenance, we don’t have enough crew to keep it up, so we would suffer on that part of it.”
Several commissioners said they preferred to avoid an immediate, large county budget increase and to use the remainder of the current budget year to contract necessary services. Commissioners noted the program had once been more robust and that some of the decline reflects expansion of other pretrial and reentry alternatives that keep people out of jail and do not require STS crews.
No formal motion was adopted to permanently assume the program. Staff asked for direction to proceed with option 3 — allow STS to operate through June 30 under current arrangements, use budgeted funds to cover critical contracted maintenance through the rest of 2025, and return to the board with a recommendation for 2026 budget planning.
The board did not vote to create a new county‑run STS crew or join a multi‑county program at the meeting. Staff said they will return with cost and contracting options for routine maintenance if state funding ends.
