Kootenai County sheriff seeks about $4.5 million in FY26 increases for staff, jail and vehicles

Kootenai County commissioners on June 10 heard a fiscal year 2026 budget review from the sheriff’s office that outlined roughly $4.5 million in requested increases across personnel, operating and capital budgets, including requests tied to jail medical costs, patrol staffing and dozens of vehicles and equipment replacements.

The sheriff’s office said the increases reflect county population and service growth: “Calls for service … have doubled,” and drug overdoses rose from 24 in 2010 to 73 in 2024, the sheriff’s office told the board during the presentation. The office also reported a 20% increase in mental-health–related calls for service over the same period.

Budget director Stephanie Drobni presented the budget highlights, telling the commissioners the sheriff’s office manages more than 30 separate budgets and was prioritizing personnel requests, capital asks and a five-year maintenance plan. Key personnel requests included four deputy backfills (requested at $507,076), a full-time Hayden lieutenant ($171,000, described as contingent on Hayden’s contract), a communications coordinator ($89,000), a recruiting sergeant ($132,000) and an interpreter stipend for 10 bilingual deputies ($25,892). The office also asked for two detectives (one ICAC-affiliated investigator and one Special Investigations Unit detective) at roughly $121,000 each, and an…