Hennepin County sheriff asks for $162.6 million in property taxes for 2026; officials press on staffing, jail costs and technology

Hennepin County Sheriff Cheryl Witt told the Board of Commissioners that the sheriff's office is proposing $162,600,000 in property tax support in the 2026 operating budget, which Witt said represents a 12.8% increase from the office—s 2025 adjusted operating budget.

"Our proposed budget includes a $162,600,000 in property taxes in order to fund the programs and activities that the sheriff's office considers vital in providing public safety to all residents of Hennepin County," a county budget presenter said during the opening slides. The presenter said the proposal assumes a 7.79% statutory maximum levy increase and noted an approximately $5 million drop in non-property revenues tied to federal and state funding reductions.

Why it matters: Personnel costs make up roughly 80% of the sheriff's budget and are the largest driver of the request. Commissioners pressed the sheriff and budget staff for more granular data on overtime, health-care drivers inside the jail and whether contracted technology costs might be reduced through countywide purchasing.

Budget drivers and numbers: The presentation and sheriff—s remarks listed the largest changes as a $10,700,000 increase in personal services spending to cover general salary adjustments, merit increases and higher health-insurance costs; $650,000 in increased jail medical personnel costs; and a $2,000,000 increase in workers' compensation versus 2025. Services spending rises by $3,100,000, the budget presenter said, driven in part by a $900,000 increase for body-worn cameras and a $1,000,000 increase in internal county IT costs. The presenter said revenue is expected to fall by about $5,000,000 overall, with roughly $1,500,000 less federal funding and $2,800,000 less state funding.

Sheriff—s priorities and programs: Sheriff Witt emphasized the office—s focus on prevention, rehabilitation and community engagement as part of public-safety priorities and countywide goals such as disparity elimination and climate action. "Safety isn't just a value. It's a prerequisite for a thriving, equitable society," Witt said, and described jail programs including the HOPE program and expanded substance-use treatment. Witt said more than 18,000 people have passed through the adult detention center through August and that the office provided nearly 2,000 GED-class hours and more than 2,500 life-skill certificates in 2025.

Jail medical and capacity pressures: Witt described rising medical and behavioral-health needs among detainees, saying roughly 70% of the jail population requires medical services. She and staff argued the facility—s aging physical plant and the care needs of people in custody are major cost pressures and cited ongoing and forthcoming staffing studies for the jail and the larger agency.

Overtime and staffing: Commissioners asked for a detailed breakout of the $10.7 million personnel increase, and specifically about overtime. Sheriff's staff said reimbursable overtime (for outside events such as professional-sports games) totals about $2,000,000 and that a vendor-conducted overtime study is under way. "We are seeing our overtime start to decrease somewhat," Witt said, but added "it will never be 0" for a 24/7 public-safety operation.

Technology and procurement questions: The sheriff and staff described a plan to replace and integrate standalone systems for body-worn cameras, squad cameras, tasers and records management. Commissioners questioned a $900,000 line in the services increase for body-worn cameras and whether countywide purchasing or shared contracts with other departments could reduce the cost; finance staff said cross-department synergies are being explored but not finalized.

Contraband and facility technology: Staff described new equipment and systems in the jail, including a second body scanner, RFID-based welfare-check systems (Guardian), medical-alert bands for at-risk detainees, and an expanded narcotics K-9 presence. Staff said recent detections included drugs sent via mail and that moving to electronic mail processing raises legal and operational questions.

State and federal funding reductions: Commissioners raised the impact of decreased state and federal funding on court-related functions and 911/dispatch. The sheriff said the office will continue to advocate to state and federal officials over funding shortfalls and that some functions are statutory or otherwise beyond local discretion.

What remains unresolved: Commissioners repeatedly asked for trend data and more granular breakouts (overtime by division, medical cost drivers inside the jail, and the staffing-study timelines). Budget staff and the sheriff said more detailed figures will be provided to the board as the briefing series continues.

Next steps: The board paused this hearing to continue consideration of budget items at a later meeting date. Any formal votes on the sheriff's proposed budget will be recorded in upcoming board action items.