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Corrections officials cite one-time jail boarding costs and overtime pressure in preliminary 2026 levy request
Summary
Sheriff and corrections staff told the board their preliminary 2026 levy request includes both routine pay-and-benefit increases and a one-time inmate-boarding expense tied to jail construction, driving a substantial year-over-year levy increase.
Sheriff and corrections staff briefed the board on the public-safety portion of the county—s preliminary 2026 budget, saying public safety is largely funded by levy and that 2026—s preliminary ask shows a substantial increase.
Staff said the preliminary public-safety request is about $9.94 million, roughly a $900,000 increase year over year. They identified two drivers: routine cost-of-living and benefit increases for existing positions and a one-time estimated boarding cost tied to jail construction that will require housing some female inmates off-site while the facility is renovated. The presenter said the boarding estimate is roughly in the low hundreds of thousands (discussed several times as a ~ $300k figure in different phrasing) and suggested that, in hindsight, that number could be classified as a capital-related cost associated with the construction project.
Staff described sustained overtime demand—about 8,000 overtime hours in 2024 across jail and corrections—and noted a portion of that overtime is unavoidable in a 24/7 operation. They discussed potential scheduling and staffing changes that might reduce premium overtime but said options are limited because of the facility layout and Department of Corrections staffing/posting requirements. The presenter said that while boarding out inmates has in the past generated revenue (the county has previously earned up to about $500,000 in a good year when boarding inmates from other counties), available statewide bed capacity is currently high and outside boarding is not a reliable revenue source for 2026. For 2026 the only boarding revenue they expect is state inmates; the county plans to transport female inmates to Becker County for the construction period and noted Becker County can handle most medical and remote-court needs on site.
Commissioners asked about the possibility of treating boarding expense as part of the capital project and about transportation and medical-cost impacts; staff said transportation can be coordinated with Becker County and that additional medical expenses are possible but not currently specified.
Ending: Staff and commissioners agreed to explore whether one-time capital funds could offset the boarding expense and directed staff to work on overtime-reduction strategies and scheduling analysis ahead of levy finalization.
