County staff and supervisors discussed a proposed 2026 budget amendment to increase the in-county subsequent jail day-stay fee with the intent to create a non-lapsing account that could help fund the sheriff's canine program.

Administrator Lance explained the background: state rules require each county to identify a single public safety answering point and the packet included budget proposals. He described the jail day-stay fee currently set at $18 for in-county residents and said the budget proposed $20; Supervisor Sandalski is considering an amendment to raise the fee to $23 and to create a non-lapsing rollover account to capture the incremental revenue for canine program costs if other revenues are insufficient.

Lance said the fee applies only to post-sentence inmates (a minority of the jail population) and estimated that increasing the fee by $3 could yield between about $16,000 and $18,000 in additional revenue under an assumption of full collections, but he cautioned that historically the county has fallen short of revenue projections. Supervisor John and others raised equity and reentry concerns, asking whether raising fees further hinders individuals returning to the community and employment prospects.

Committee members asked staff to track collection rates and costs precisely before finalizing policy changes; no formal budget amendment was adopted at this meeting, and members indicated any amendment would be vetted further at the county board hearing.