Patricia Fassett, presiding juvenile court judge, and George Moyer, juvenile court administrator, told the Board of Commissioners that juvenile probation and detention face a mix of significant grant revenue losses and rising overhead costs for 2026.

“It's a 10% reduction in budget from 2025 to 2026,” George Moyer said about the probation expenditure request, noting the department made line‑by‑line cuts where possible. Moyer said revenue is taking a larger hit: “They're down 32%,” on the revenue side for probation, which he tied to several state grant reductions.

Moyer identified three large revenue changes driving the decline. He said the state BECCA grant was reduced by roughly 68%, creating about a $154,000 shortfall that primarily affects ESD 112, which had been a pass‑through recipient. He also reported a roughly 50% cut to a DCYF (Department of Children, Youth and Families) grant and other program reductions; combined, he said the probation side faces approximately $324,000 less revenue for 2026.

On the expenditure side, commissioners were told internal charges have risen. Motor‑pool charges are up about 16%, insurance premiums about 23%, and industrial accident charges — which the county said reflect changes in the cost allocation method and claims experience — showed a large increase (Moyer reported a 460% rise for industrial accident in his slide set). County staff explained some of the change stems from correcting historic misclassification of personnel rates used in allocations.

For detention, Moyer reported a 7.19% increase in expenditures from 2025 to 2026 and a 37% drop in revenue. He said professional services grew substantially, including costs related to a new medical contract replacing the prior provider. Room‑and‑board revenue from contracts with other counties is inherently uncertain; Moyer said the county typically receives about $55,000 but actual amounts depend on placements and contract renewals.

Commissioners discussed splitting administrative salaries between probation and detention to provide a more accurate picture of each program’s true operating cost. Staff recommended a roughly 50/50 split of administrative positions that serve both areas.

Why it matters: deep grant cuts and rising overhead change service capacity calculations for juvenile programming and detention operations. Staff said they will stretch remaining grant dollars but that some prevention programming and services to at‑risk youth will be reduced unless new funding is found.

Ending: Juvenile court leaders and county staff said they will return with any contract documents and recommended budget allocations for formal action during the budget process.