Rawlins County sheriff asks for clearer jail and dispatch agreement after out‑of‑county housing costs

Sheriff Catlyn Wahrman read a letter to the Rawlins County commissioners on June 2 seeking a clearer intergovernmental agreement with the City of Atwood on jail and dispatch services.

Wahrman cited Kansas statute K.S.A. 19-1930, noting the sheriff "is the jailer and shall receive all prisoners committed to the Sheriff by the authority of the United States or by the authority of any city located in such county" and that "the governing body of any city committing prisoners to the county jail shall provide for the payment of such compensation upon receipt of a statement from the Sheriff." She said that while Rawlins County’s jail has been undergoing updates and inmates were housed at the Thomas County Jail in Colby, Rawlins County has been covering those costs.

The sheriff told commissioners she has received questions from residents after Atwood City Council minutes appeared in a local paper and that the existing Atwood City/Rawlins County Agreement (dating to 2005 in the text read aloud) provides for a monthly payment by Atwood but lacks detailed assignment of responsibilities such as transport and medical costs for municipal arrestees. She said the historic payment level ($2,500 per month beginning in 2005, or $30,000 per year) was increased in 2019 to $33,000 per year, and she contrasted that with a stated Rawlins County dispatch personnel budget of about $220,000 per year (approximately $44,000 per dispatcher averaged), excluding health and KPERS benefits.

Wahrman asked the board to negotiate a new agreement that clarifies which agency pays for what services, citing examples of long‑standing confusion about duties and costs. Commissioners acknowledged the concern and heard the request for updated contract language.

No formal change to the Atwood agreement was made at the meeting; Wahrman urged follow‑up with city officials.