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Heated exchange over sheriff's office management, county hears rising jail contract costs
Summary
A public forum speaker sharply criticized Commissioner Smith over treatment of sheriff's staff; the sheriff's monthly report said inmate contract housing and transportation costs spiked (about $80,000 and $5,300 respectively) and the county was denied access to other jails 63 times last month, raising operational concerns.
An extended public forum exchange put the spotlight on Trinity County’s sheriff’s office, and the court heard a monthly jail report that county officials said shows growing operational strain.
During the public forum an unidentified speaker confronted Commissioner Smith over comments previously made about the sheriff’s office and urged the court to tighten allowances and oversight. “Commissioner Smith, I’m growing increasingly tired of your disrespect and your personal bias towards public safety in this county,” the speaker said, accusing the commissioner of showing “blatant disrespect” to jail staff and urging the court to cut vehicle allowances to $12,000 to save funds. The speaker said the sheriff’s office reduced its budget by “almost 7%.”
The sheriff’s monthly report later detailed jail pressures tied to housing and transport. The presenting speaker said the county had 47 inmates in custody and that “our inmate contract housing has gone up … we’re at $80,000 last month,” with transportation costs of about $5,300. The sheriff’s representative told the court the county was denied access to other jails 63 times last month, which complicates transfers and increases costs. The report also noted a $37,000 invoice from San Jacinto County related to contract housing.
The exchange included pushback from commissioners who said they will continue to review overtime and staffing figures. One commissioner responded in part: “I’ll always look after the county’s money,” and signaled intent to continue raising fiscal questions about staffing and overtime.
No formal policy decision followed from the public forum; the remarks were entered into the record and commissioners continued through the meeting agenda.
The sheriff’s monthly statistics — including counts of arrests, 9-1-1 calls and citations — were received by the court. The sheriff’s office also flagged animal-control and kennel capacity issues and said it will submit a contract approval for additional inmate housing when available.
