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Sheriff previews 2026 budget: dispatch moves to sheriff, Starlink and communications upgrades planned
Summary
The sheriff outlined staffing and equipment requests in the 2026 budget, including shifting dispatch into the sheriff's budget, purchasing Starlink units for backup communications, continuing Guardian training and SWAT consolidation, vehicle replacements, and concerns about forthcoming drops in inmate-phone revenue due to FCC action.
Sheriff staff presented their proposed 2026 budget, highlighted personnel decisions tied to the county pay plan, and described operational changes and capital needs for dispatch, communications and the jail.
Key items the sheriff described: - Dispatch move: The county is formally moving dispatch costs and five dispatch positions from the corrections budget into the sheriff’s budget to centralize communications, equipment, Starlink service and radio upkeep in one place for clearer reporting and annual reporting to the state. - Starlink and backup comms: The sheriff said the county has purchased Starlink equipment (one permanent mount for the building and one portable unit) to provide an alternate connectivity path in case of 9‑1‑1 or cellular outages. Ongoing monthly service and data costs were noted. - Guardian and training: The sheriff said SWAT and Guardian training and ammunition lines were consolidated into a single corrections/Guardian training account; some Guardian program costs are expected to be reimbursed by partner agencies but timing can lag. - Fleet and facilities: The sheriff proposed rotating four vehicles out of the fleet in the usual replacement cycle and requested countertop and desktop bids for a foyer refresh in the public building (capital outlay line). The sheriff said bids are pending and amounts may change. - Revenue note — inmate phone service: The sheriff warned commissioners that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules have driven down allowable phone/telco charges for inmates and that revenue from inmate phones/tablets (held in trust accounts) will decline; staff will report further when vendor representatives are available.
On personnel, the sheriff said he adhered to the county pay plan and that some senior deputies are likely to retire in coming years, creating hiring pressure for rural counties. The sheriff also said the county is expanding programs in corrections, including therapy and offender programming, which have increased programmed inmate counts and revenue stability.
Ending: Commissioners accepted the sheriff’s presentation and asked staff to return finalized bids and any revenue projections related to FCC changes; the sheriff asked for continued support on personnel retention and program funding.
