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Sheriff McCrainy asks board for extra corrections officer, part-time courthouse security in FY27 budget
Summary
Lancaster County Sheriff Patrick McCrainy asked the Board of Supervisors to fund one additional full-time corrections officer and about $36,000 for part-time courthouse security in the FY27 budget, citing rising vehicle, technology and overtime costs and growing time spent on mental-health-related incidents.
Lancaster County Sheriff Patrick McCrainy told the Board of Supervisors at the March 26 budget work session that his office is seeking one additional full-time corrections officer and part-time courthouse security starting in FY27 to address staffing and safety needs.
McCrainy presented 2025 activity figures — including 323 arrests, 1,385 traffic summonses (up from 980 in 2024) and 16,327 calls for service — and said long transport and detention times for people with mental health needs have driven overtime and staffing pressure. He told the board an unfilled corrections position with no prior experience would start at about $52,000 in salary, “and with benefits that would be about $73,000.” He also estimated that providing part-time courthouse security on non-court days would add roughly $36,000 annually.
McCrainy thanked the board for an anticipated 3% pay raise and said the sheriff's office would absorb health-insurance increases. He also highlighted a series of rising operating costs: vehicle expenses have increased roughly 41.9% from 2022 to 2025, central CAD licensing at $53,392 per year, and a recent one-time and recurring cost tied to changing email providers.
Board members pressed for comparative context and asked county staff to provide data showing what share of the county budget is devoted to the sheriff's office and how Lancaster's staffing levels compare with neighboring counties that run jails. County staff said they would research and return with apples-to-apples comparisons, vehicle inventories and comp-board-funded positions.
During the meeting a separate but related motion directing county administrators to prepare a formal request asking the town of Kilarnic to share dispatcher or dispatch costs was made and carried by the board. The vote carried at the meeting with the board saying “Aye.”
Next steps: the sheriff's office was asked to return for additional discussion and to address capital-improvement items at an April 9 follow-up work session; county staff will compile requested comparative budget and staffing data.
