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Commissioners ask sheriff to renegotiate jail medical-services deal after upward price proposals
Summary
Benton County discussed a new three-year contract with Advanced Correctional Health for medical care at the county jail; commissioners expressed concern about multi-year increases and asked staff to attempt renegotiation.
Benton County commissioners discussed renewal terms for the county jail's medical services contract and asked the sheriff and staff to seek further negotiation on the proposed three-year deal.
County officials said the existing arrangement with Advanced Correctional Health (ACH) has met statutory obligations to provide inmate medical care and that ACH proposed a consolidated three-year agreement covering medical services and electronic medical records. The county administrator reported a 2.5% price increase for 2026 followed by 4% increases in 2027 and 2028. The contract baseline was adjusted to reflect an average daily population (ADP) of 40 inmates (previous baseline had been 50), so the first-year price decreases compared with the old baseline but the out-year increases alarmed several commissioners.
The sheriff described how the contract scales up or down with ADP; if the county's ADP rises above the baseline the county pays additional per-inmate fees, and if ADP is lower the county receives credit. Commissioners questioned whether a multi-year deal with 4% annual increases in later years was prudent for a small county. Several commissioners said they would prefer a one-year contract or lower percentage increases and asked the sheriff and county staff to return with a negotiating strategy to reduce percentage increases in years two and three.
Why it matters: The contract funds are a material county expense and affect care for people detained in the county jail. Multi-year escalators affect future budgets; the county must balance continuity of medical coverage with the potential cost of providing services directly or finding alternative vendors (which the county stated are limited in the region).
What was said (selected): - "That contract expires at the end of this year... price for 2026 is a 2.5% cost increase and then we agreed to a 4% cost increase in 2027 and 2028," the presenter said when introducing the proposed agreement. - Commissioner: "The 4% for the two outlying years is pretty hefty... Is there a way to do a one-year and look at it again?" - Sheriff: "So the contract adjusts both up and down... This adjusted to a more typical ADP we have seen... if we have more than 40 we'd be paying extra; if we have less than 40 we'd get a credit back." (summary of exchange)
Board direction: Commissioners agreed in concept to ask staff and the sheriff to re-open negotiations with ACH to seek lower percent increases for the second and third years, or alternatively to consider a shorter term contract. The chair asked the sheriff to return to the board when additional negotiation results are available.
Provenance: Contract terms and the board's direction to renegotiate are recorded in the meeting transcript during the jail-services agenda segment.
