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Sheriff's recommended 2026 budget includes new deputy positions, vehicle replacements and radio upgrades
Summary
The Sheriff's Department presented a 2026 recommended budget that includes two additional deputy positions, replacement of a dozen vehicles, and a request to replace radios that lack compatibility for large-scale operations; the administration also noted anticipated declines in correctional revenues tied to contracting changes.
Sheriff's Department leaders presented the department's proposed 2026 budget, citing increased operational needs, vehicle and radio replacements, and changes in jail revenue sources.
County staff said the Sheriff's budget is heavily labor-driven, with about half the department’s cost tied to corrections and nearly half to law enforcement services. The presentation listed multiple capital and equipment needs for 2026, including replacement of 12 vehicles (six patrol SUVs, three pickup trucks and others) and related equipment-changeover costs. Staff said vehicle replacements in recent years were funded from sales tax and that 2026 vehicle-replacement costs were budgeted at about $694,400.
The budget also included a request to replace roughly 30 radios that county staff said are incompatible with modern large-scale operations (budgeted at $192,000) and other specialty equipment including a Bearcat vehicle lease, drones, radar units and dry suits for dive team operations. Staff listed increased costs for software maintenance, training and insurance liabilities.
The department requested two additional deputy sheriff positions to handle growing calls for service and to provide backup to smaller municipal departments. County and sheriff’s staff said new or expanded specialized work (investigative caseloads, collaborative prosecutions) and retirements/deployments have contributed to staffing pressures; the department said some vacancy and deployment patterns require multi-month lead time to reach full operational staffing.
Correctional services revenue was projected to decline in 2026, partly because a Dane County overflow contract is expected to end; staff said federal prisoner housing revenue will increase due to a new contract to house federal inmates at a $110-per-day rate. Overall correctional revenue was budgeted to decrease by about 23% from the prior year, according to the presentation.
Why it matters: The Sheriff's budget contains personnel, capital and equipment choices that affect public safety response capacity and county costs. The department described rising equipment needs and changing revenue streams for jail operations.
Ending: The sheriff and staff said they will continue to refine capital and operating plans as committees consider the budget and as the board evaluates tradeoffs.
