Sheriff outlines budget increases, training and potential jail expansion to house state inmates

Speaker 2, identified in the transcript as the sheriff’s office representative, told the Emery County Commission at the January meeting that the office is seeking several budget increases and making operational proposals intended to cut long-term costs and expand services.

The sheriff’s representative said travel expenses would rise by about $2,300 and that maintenance and supplies lines have been increased (including a roughly $20,000 equipment/maintenance request). He said the office spends heavily on patrol-vehicle repairs—tires, brakes and transmissions—and that scheduling external mechanics can cause long delays. “Tire King treats us like gold. They give us the best deals on all of our tires,” Speaker 2 said, adding that in-house maintenance (oil changes, tire work) could save money if mechanics and scheduling can be arranged.

The office has shifted vehicle communications and video systems, Speaker 2 said, moving from hotspots to Starlink and adopting Axon body and in-car camera systems; those systems require additional SIM-card costs and monthly contracts. The change, he said, has reduced time required to prepare video evidence for the county attorney’s office by allowing rapid cloud uploads.

On training, Speaker 2 described changes at the state POST academies that reduced onsite meals, prompting the sheriff’s office to reimburse cadets via a per diem process (about $28 per day) rather than rely on school-provided food. The office sent eight attendees to academy this year, an unusually high number, and is absorbing higher training-related costs.

The sheriff’s office discussed school guardians and school resource officers (SROs). Speaker 2 said the state provides a $500 stipend to guardians but the district purchased firearms and provides additional stipends; deputies and SROs will be offered monthly range time and twice-yearly qualifiers. The sheriff characterized the state guidance on ammunition as shifting costs onto guardians: “They probably should bring 500 rounds for the training,” Speaker 2 said, describing the mismatch between responsibility and support.

The office applied for a Council on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) grant to fund a law-enforcement-certified pretrial services deputy. Speaker 2 said the application seeks roughly $160,000 to cover salary, benefits, a vehicle and program supplies; the deputy would supervise people released from custody while they await court to reduce reoffending in the pretrial period. Speaker 2 said he discussed sustainability with Tom Ross (identified in the transcript as the CCJJ boss) and will follow up with Melanie Weaver for timing details.

Speaker 2 also raised a possible expansion of housing state inmates at the county jail. The Department of Corrections warden, Craig Buchanan, told the sheriff’s office the state expects to run out of open prison beds by 2027; Speaker 2 said the county jail could accept more state inmates (the facility has 88 beds and the county previously approved up to 60 state beds), which could generate revenue at roughly the $90-per-inmate-per-day rate the state pays. The sheriff’s representative cautioned that safely increasing capacity depends on staffing: the jail currently runs about four jailers and one sergeant (five total), and adding inmates would require hiring additional jailers (Speaker 2 estimated two to three more staff would be needed to reach higher occupancy levels).

Commissioners and staff discussed food and operating-cost modeling for higher inmate counts and the minimum staff required per state rules. Speaker 1 and others requested follow-up reporting on per-inmate food cost and a revenue/expense model before committing to any change.

Capital requests tied to the sheriff’s office included a small storage building to house search-and-rescue equipment (generators, side-by-sides, motorcycles) with improved power and battery charging, camera replacements in jail areas that lack 24/7 surveillance, and a jail counter door and computer system. Several bids and vendor estimates are pending.

The sheriff’s office said it will pursue feasibility steps: explore in-house vehicle maintenance with county staff, follow up on the CCJJ grant timeline with Melanie Weaver and Tom Ross, get cost estimates for jail staffing and food per inmate, and invite Warden Craig Buchanan to brief the commission with more details.

Next steps: commissioners asked staff to return with specific cost estimates and revenue models for the jail option and with clarifications on staffing needs before any formal decision.