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Jackson County amends FY2025 budget after jail staffing and overtime push costs higher
Summary
The Jackson County Board of Supervisors approved a fiscal‑year 2025 budget amendment to cover increased sheriff's office and jail costs driven by staffing, overtime and higher-than-expected utilities and operating costs after the county's new jail entered service later than planned.
The Jackson County Board of Supervisors on June 3 approved Resolution No. 1121, amending the county’s fiscal‑year 2025 budget to cover shortfalls tied largely to sheriff and jail operations.
The change increases the sheriff/jail budget by about $133,100 to cover additional overtime, utilities and other operating costs as the new jail came into service later than the county had anticipated during last year’s budget process.
The amendment was driven by a combination of higher staffing and overtime needs, utility and supply costs at the new facility, and timing differences in revenue from housing inmates for other counties. Andrew Long, Jackson County jail administrator, told supervisors the jail’s May billed revenue from Scott County was $33,495, and the year‑to‑date billed total through May was $132,220; he noted not all billed revenue had yet been collected.
Long said the jail’s daily census in early June was 27 inmates (26 male, 1 female), with a recent high of 38 and a monthly average of 32.74. He described increased meal preparation and inmate‑specific logging workload, and said staffing shortages and weekend overtime have required some full‑time officers to give up days off.
Supervisors pressed for clearer cost accounting. Chair Don Swiper asked staff to provide a per‑inmate cost breakdown and to report actual cash collected versus billed amounts. Long agreed to produce a breakout of per‑inmate meal, hygiene and other recurring costs and to report collections at the next update.
Supervisors also discussed how revenue from housing out‑of‑county inmates should be allocated. Long reminded the board that the county had previously planned to split excess revenue 50/50 between a debt‑reduction fund and a capital improvement fund (CIP). Board members asked staff to model an approach that first reimburses the county for the direct cost of housing those inmates and then splits any surplus for debt reduction and CIP.
The board approved Resolution No. 1121 by roll call after a public hearing on the amendment. The motion was made and seconded and carried unanimously. The amendment authorizes the chair and auditor to sign the record of hearing and certify the change to the State of Iowa.
Supervisors said they intend to hold a future work session to evaluate longer‑term staffing options (additional full‑time versus part‑time/PRN coverage) after staff returns the requested cost and collection figures.
