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Utah County adopts 2026 budget, adds $1M to sheriff and attorney's offices
Summary
The commission unanimously adopted the 2026 budget, including $1 million increases for the sheriff's office and county attorney, and noted a $600,000 jail-food increase tied to a 24% rise in jail population.
Utah County commissioners voted Dec. 17 to adopt the county's 2026 general fund and supporting budgets, approving targeted increases intended to address public-safety and legal workloads.
Commissioners allocated $1 million each to the sheriff's office and the county attorney's office. The commission also flagged a $600,000 increase in jail food costs driven by a 24% rise in the jail population, which commissioners said accounts for much of the increase in corrections spending.
Commissioners discussed the difficulty of covering rising operational costs while preserving services across departments. One commissioner highlighted the need for additional victims and witness coordinators in the attorney's office, citing examples of residents unable to get timely help because staff were handling hundreds of cases.
The board said it had invested in assessing and IT functions and was saving for capital improvement projects (CIP). Commissioners described the budget process as collaborative and said this cycle produced broad agreement after extensive review.
A motion to approve the 2026 budget (item 19) passed unanimously on a voice vote.
