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Sheriff’s budget shows contract-driven increases; county weighs vehicle requests and EMS revenue
Summary
The sheriff’s budget and jail corrections contracts are driving notable increases in the draft county budget. Officials discussed vehicle requests, a recent security-services contract and EMS billing revenue as potential offsets.
The sheriff’s and corrections budgets are among the larger department increases in the draft. County staff said deputy and corrections officers’ costs rise under current negotiated contracts; the 2026 draft reflects those contract-driven increases.
Staff described a new security-services contract with an annual escalator and said vehicle requests were trimmed. The sheriff had sought several new vehicles (a mix of patrol cars and additional vehicles for deputies and jail use); staff said one jail vehicle request was removed from the draft to help balance the budget.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) revenues also featured in the discussion. Staff and the sheriff reported EMS collections have grown since the county’s EMS-billing program began; one speaker said the county was on pace for $1.35 million in EMS revenue in the current year and suggested the county may be leaving money on the table because of uncollected bills. Legislators expressed interest in asking the county’s billing vendor to present options for recovering delinquent revenue without harming vulnerable residents.
Why it matters: contractually required pay increases and equipment needs are recurring budget pressures. Officials said revenue from EMS billing can offset some operating costs but that collection strategy warrants review to maximize recoveries without undermining access to emergency services.
