Troup County to weigh inmate food-service price increase; vendor proposes CPI-based escalators and 60-day termination

Troup County staff told commissioners on Sept. 16 that the county’s inmate food-service vendor has proposed a price increase to take effect in November and that the contract includes automatic escalators tied to the consumer-price index (CPI) and employment-cost index (ECI).

Major Jeff Duran, representing detention operations, said the vendor proposed a per-tray cost of about $1.43 beginning in November and that automatic increases after that would reflect food- and labor-cost inflation. Staff said the current contract pricing reflects 2023 rates and that the vendor had not increased prices for roughly two years. The proposal also contained an original 15-day withdrawal clause that staff negotiated to a 60-day notice period for either party.

Commissioners noted the county had budgeted based on recent population estimates and discussed the contract term language: staff said the vendor’s pricing would be effective as of July 1, 2025 in contract text but that the county expected any new pricing to apply prospectively and not be retroactive. Major Duran and staff estimated the county’s inmate population at about 600 and said they had budgeted per-inmate amounts in the $5.50–$6.50 range to accommodate population increases.

Staff said special-diet meals (religious or medical) are rare and unlikely to materially change totals. They also described the county’s options if the vendor’s performance proved unsatisfactory: either party can provide a 60-day termination notice and the county can rebid the contract at that point.

The board will consider final contract language and formal approval at its evening meeting.