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Sheriff seeks staffing increases as jail expands and calls remain high
Summary
Sheriff presented department-level FY26 request covering law enforcement, corrections and communications. He described rising operating pressures, a jail expansion to 499 beds, persistent staffing shortages and recruitment competition from nearby agencies.
Okeechobee County’s sheriff told commissioners his FY26 budget request reflects continuing recruitment challenges, rising personnel costs and a nearly completed second dorm that will expand jail capacity to about 499 beds.
‘‘We maintain 238 full‑time employees and the vast majority of the budget — about 85%— is personnel,’’ the sheriff said, describing FY24 and FY25 workload data and staffing changes. He said law‑enforcement patrol and corrections both face high turnover: roughly 55% of some front‑line rosters have under two years’ service and…
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