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Sheriff projects FY26-27 costs, vacancies and West County Wirth facility opening
Summary
Sheriff David Livingston reported a recommended general-fund budget of about $355 million driven by salary/benefit increases and higher food costs; he said vacancies are being actively filled and that the new West County Wirth facility should accept detainees around July 1, funded largely by the state.
Sheriff David Livingston presented the Sheriff's Office budget highlights and quarterly metrics on April 28, telling supervisors the recommended general-fund budget is roughly $355 million, with an increase driven by salaries, benefits and higher jail food costs.
Livingston said the department expects roughly 16,000 bookings in the upcoming fiscal year and that field operations responded to over 300,000 calls for service last year. He reported 144 vacancies across the agency and described active recruitment and hiring pipelines (including recruits in academy classes).
On the correctional side, Livingston said the West County Wirth facility is meeting final punch-list items with the State and is expected to receive detainees around July 1. He emphasized that the project does not add net capacity but shifts modules and staff from Martinez to a newer facility primarily funded (~80%) by state grants.
Supervisors pressed for breakdowns of pretrial vs. adjudicated populations and booking trends; sheriff staff said the majority of the jail population is pretrial and that bookings have trended upward in recent years. The sheriff also described training initiatives including crisis-intervention and de-escalation training and the ongoing body-worn camera program funded partially by Measure X.
