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Sheriff's office and council discuss soaring jail wastewater bills and budget strain
Summary
County officials and jail staff told the Vermillion County Council on July 14 that jail wastewater costs have risen sharply as inmate population returned to pre-construction levels; finance staff and the sheriff's representative urged a budget review and additional appropriation planning.
Vermillion County officials on July 14 discussed higher-than-expected water and wastewater charges tied to the county jail and asked staff to compile historical bills and fund balances so the council can consider an additional appropriation.
A representative for the jail said inmate population has risen from the mid-70s a year ago to the low-to-mid 90s in recent months and that wastewater charges in some months have been several times the water portion of the bill. "The water bill itself was $1,500 but then we're like almost $4,000 in wastewater," the jail representative told the council.
Finance staff and the representative reviewed annual totals and recent budget changes: the county paid about $23,371 for wastewater in 2023; the 2024 budget mirrored that amount; in 2025 the board increased the wastewater budget by $27,000, bringing available funding to roughly $50,000 before a $5,000 transfer approved during the July meeting. The jail representative said that while some spikes were tied to a faulty water-softener piston that has since been repaired, increased inmate consumption after the facility returned to fuller use accounts for a substantial share of the higher bills.
Council members asked for detailed documentation and recommended immediate next steps: the auditor/staff were asked to run a year-over-year report of jail wastewater and water bills, provide the jail's monthly average inmate counts and identify whether septic/grease-trap pumping and trash/shipping costs were being charged to the proper funds. "Misty, can you run us a report and then send it to all of us that has the actual funds available," a council member said.
Why it matters: The jail's utility costs are material to jail maintenance and DOC reimbursement planning and could force additional appropriations if reimbursements or other budget sources do not cover the increased expense. Council members suggested packaging the likely shortfall as a single additional appropriation for the remainder of the year to avoid repeated monthly transfers.
No formal policy change was made; staff were directed to prepare reports of prior bills, current fund balances and inmate counts to present to the council at budget discussions.
