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Sheriff flags $130,000 overtime, loss of some homeland-security grant funds in Kittitas County briefing
Summary
At a June 2 study session, Kittitas County Sheriff Myers told commissioners the department has logged about $130,000 in overtime tied to a Chelan County homicide response and is tracking the likely loss of some FY2025 homeland-security grant funding (about $75,000) while also updating the board on jail project progress and a Medicaid 1115 waiver at the jail.
Kittitas County Sheriff Myers told the Board of Commissioners at a June 2 study session that the Sheriff’s Office has incurred roughly $130,000 in overtime related to a response connected to a Chelan County homicide and that the overtime, plus other emergency responses, creates uncertainty in the department’s mid‑year budget.
“My cost right now is $130,000 in overtime,” Myers said, describing the immediate fiscal pressure and noting other overtime responses are also affecting the budget. He added that staff are still working through actuals for 2026 and expect some federal homeland‑security grants for tactical training and equipment to be unavailable to the county.
Why it matters: The overtime and the potential reduction in grant funding could widen a gap between projected revenues and expenses for the Sheriff’s Office, potentially affecting operations or requiring budget adjustments later this year.
Myers said the county is estimating roughly $75,000 in lost grant support as staff compile actuals for 2026, and he warned the Cle Elum bankruptcy could have implications for local search‑and‑rescue (SAR) resources. “We are currently working on actuals for 2026; the ballpark is about $75,000,” he said, and he added the office will pursue alternatives and coordinate with Cle Elum on SAR arrangements.
Myers also told the board that academy training costs have risen and that he will discuss the increase with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC). On operational trends, he gave a brief mid‑2025 summary of calls and reported crime, saying that crime in some specific areas has decreased while enforcement actions continue.
Commissioner Brett Wachsmith asked about the status of the county jail project; Myers said the superintendent is working on it and that progress is being made. Wachsmith noted that jail revenue figures are “good,” according to the Auditor's Office representative present.
Inspector Chris Whitsett reported that the 1115 Medicaid waiver is in effect at the jail as of July 1, which may affect how certain services at the facility are funded and delivered.
The study session concluded after other business; no votes or formal motions were recorded.
