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Cowlitz County jail shows personnel underspend while relying on temps and overtime to meet staffing needs
Summary
County finance staff reported the jail was under budget on payroll for 2024 because of unfilled positions, but the department used temporary staff and $641,000 in overtime to maintain operations; seven corrections officer positions remain open and an RFID inmate-tracking purchase was moved to 2025.
Kathy Funk Baxter, Cowlitz County finance director, told commissioners on Feb. 3 that the jail’s personnel budget was underspent for the 2024 fiscal year because positions remain unfilled, but the facility relied on temporary employees and overtime to operate.
The county’s finance director said the jail’s personnel budget was about $6.95 million with actuals at roughly $6.50 million for the year. "There's 7 open," she said of corrections positions, noting that the vacancy count had improved from nine the prior year. Baxter added that the jail fills gaps "with temps" and that overtime is also used when shifts are short.
Why this matters: The finance presentation combined budget figures with operational context that helps explain a sizable variance between budgeted payroll and actual payroll costs. Commissioners pressed staff for…
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