Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Detention-center budget draft increases medical staff and includes new transport van, jail officials say
Summary
Chase County detention-center leadership presented a draft FY26 budget that raises personnel and medical costs to add an LPN and advance an APRN and includes an anticipated capital outlay purchase of a jail van expected in January.
Detention-center leadership told Chase County commissioners on June 16 that their draft FY26 budget increases personnel and medical spending to add a second medical staff member (an LPN) and to reflect a possible APRN salary step when the current nurse completes certification. The director also included a capital outlay item for a new jail transport van expected for delivery in January.
Why it matters: The detention center drives a sizable portion of the county's operating budget. Changes in medical staffing, food costs and potential vehicle purchases will affect the county's FY26 appropriation and may change transfers between funds.
The detention-center presenter said personnel costs were the main driver of the increase: an APRN step for the current nurse, a proposed new LPN position, and merit and cost-of-living allowances built into the payroll projection. Food costs have risen and the presenter said she now shops among three food vendors weekly to limit commodity expense increases. Laundry and other commodity lines showed decreases in the draft based on current usage.
On capital outlay, the presenter said she had ordered a jail van and included it in the capital plan; the vehicle is not expected until January. Commissioners and the director discussed whether a monthly transfer figure covering excess revenue should be revised; the transfer amount had been set in prior action and would require a formal change elsewhere to alter.
The detention director noted generator and facility electrical issues affecting freezers and other equipment; repairs were underway and additional electrical work might be needed.
No action was taken on the draft budget; commissioners asked staff to continue adjusting numbers and return with a revised recommendation.
