Cass County sets new inmate housing rate, approves West Fargo/Fargo contract effective Jan. 1, 2026

The Cass County Board of Commissioners on a split vote approved a new inmate housing contract, adopting the agreement negotiated with the City of West Fargo as the template and setting a $120 daily housing rate to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Sheriff Jonner, who led the presentation, told commissioners the county had not renegotiated its jail contract with Fargo since 2008, when the daily rate was $85, and that a staffing-and-cost study by Captain Froebig supported raising the rate to $120. "This has been a long process, kind of exhausting to be exact," Jonner said, summarizing the timeline and negotiations with city and federal partners.

The sheriff emphasized that the county would not relax its property rules for items brought into the jail. "We can't take in all this property and not know that it's not contaminated with different things," Jonner said, describing past incidents in which items brought into the facility included loaded firearms and an explosive device that required a bomb-squad response. He said property procedures are aligned with the sheriff's office policies, the North Dakota Department of Corrections rules and the North Dakota Century Code.

Jonner also noted a discussion over whether to continue offering ITV (video court appearances) for City of Fargo defendants. He said ITV is a convenience rather than a requirement, and that continuing to provide it could require additional staff and carry potential liability for jail staff handling Fargo paperwork. "If I ask for more people and that's not in our budget right now," Jonner said, "we'd have to think about some policies and procedures for liability."

Commissioners debated timing and budget impacts. Commissioner Breitling opposed the change, saying he was concerned about county costs: "How do you think we're giving money away? And I'm not in favor of that." Several other commissioners voiced support for using the West Fargo contract language and for giving Fargo more time to budget for the higher rate; commissioners voted to make the new contract effective Jan. 1, 2026 to allow administrative implementation. The motion passed with four votes in favor and one opposed.

Sheriff Jonner said he would work with the state's attorney to revise the effective date in the draft agreement so West Fargo could consider it at their meeting. He also said a copy of the agreement had been forwarded to the City of Fargo.

Why it matters: The board's action updates the county's jail billing structure, affects city budgets that send arrestees to the Cass County jail, and clarifies property-handling and ITV procedures at the facility.

Next steps: The sheriff will adjust contract paperwork to reflect the effective date and notify city partners; the City of West Fargo was expected to consider the agreement at its meeting later the same day.