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Bedford County sets temporary inmate boarding rate of $75.03, will revisit in weeks
Summary
The Bedford County Board of Commissioners approved a temporary $75.03 daily rate for out‑of‑county inmate boarding and directed staff to return with a review, after hearing that the county's calculated average cost exceeds the roughly $44 the state pays per state prisoner.
At a meeting of the Bedford County Board of Commissioners, the commission voted 16-0 to adopt a temporary inmate boarding rate of $75.03 per day for prisoners housed in the county jail and directed staff to revisit the rate within about 60 days.
Finance director Robert Daniel told commissioners he calculated the $75.03 figure using an established formula that allocates vehicle, salary, food and other operating costs. “So the cost was, like, $75.03,” Daniel said when presenting the packet of figures and the methodology the auditors requested.
The vote followed extended discussion about whether the county should raise the boarding fee above the calculated cost to recoup losses when the county houses state prisoners. Commissioners noted that the state pays about $44 per state prisoner, leaving the county to absorb the remainder. One commissioner said counties routinely use averaging across payers to cover shortfalls in operations such as EMS and suggested applying a similar approach to jail boarding.
Some commissioners urged caution about setting the fee too high because other counties might decline to send inmates if Bedford raises its rate; others suggested adopting a higher number (one commissioner suggested $100 as an example) or building a formula that averages out state inmates over a multiyear period so the county does not permanently underrecover costs.
After discussion, commissioners approved the recommended $75.03 rate and included a directive to return to the commission with a review. The clerk conducted a roll call; the commission recorded 16 ayes and 0 noes.
The action was taken after auditors signaled a need for a formal policy and a defensible methodology rather than an ad hoc charge. Commissioners and staff agreed that the county can change the rate at a later meeting if further analysis suggests a different number would be appropriate.
Follow-up: staff (finance/jail administration) will compile additional data and the commission expects to revisit the inmate boarding rate as directed at the meeting.
