Citrus County sheriff outlines $18.9 million plan, including 169 new positions, to bring detention center in‑house

The Citrus County sheriff on April 28 presented a detailed plan to bring the county’s detention facility back under local control from a private operator, telling commissioners his staffing and operating model would require 169 new positions and an estimated $18.88 million in new annual budget dollars.

The sheriff said the county would create a detention bureau within the sheriff’s office with a command structure led by a major and staffed across housing, booking, administration and medical services. “Our staffing model in total is 169 positions — 83 sworn, 30 civilian and 23 medical,” the sheriff said, adding that the proposal uses the department’s recently proposed salary plan to attract experienced candidates.

Why it matters: County control of the jail would shift responsibility for operations, medical care and capital upkeep to local government and require up‑front transition spending. The sheriff’s office argued that, after an initial investment, revenue such as federal Marshal housing contracts could offset some costs and provide funds for ongoing facility improvements.

What the sheriff proposed and why - Staffing and budget: The sheriff’s model breaks down to roughly $12.4 million in jail operations salary and about $3.0 million in operating costs (jail operations), plus about $2.6 million for medical salaries and $0.5 million in medical operating costs. Taken together the sheriff estimated about $18.88 million in additional annual operating dollars to run the detention center under county control. - Transition costs: The sheriff estimated initial transition and start‑up costs at roughly $2.16 million to replace or upgrade high‑ticket items (transport vehicles, uniforms and gear, a new jail management system, medical records systems, radios and inmate clothing). He also cited potential one‑time costs such as rekeying and radio interoperability upgrades. - Staffing detail: The proposed bureau would include a major, captain, two lieutenants and a medical director; housing, booking and administrative sections would be staffed by corrections officers and civilian support. The medical team would include RNs, LPNs, APRNs and mental‑health staff. - Revenue offsets: The sheriff said opening a pod for federal housing (example: 100 beds at today’s rates) could yield roughly $4.3 million a year in gross revenue, but would require roughly $1.5 million more in salary and operating costs to staff the pod and cover medical/clothing/food costs. He urged prioritizing county inmates until staffing stabilizes and then pursuing housing contracts to offset costs.

Boards’ questions and public administration concerns Commissioners pressed the sheriff on ownership of equipment and systems now in use by CoreCivic, whether proprietary jail management software would transfer with a contract exit, legal risks and the pace of transition. The sheriff said much would depend on negotiations and a careful inventory (“ownership”—who owns kitchen/laundry/medical equipment—remains a key question).

The sheriff also said some one‑time transition costs could be eligible for state grants tied to inmate care, and pointed to examples from neighboring Hernando County where housing revenue funded capital projects and staff positions. Major Sean Klusnik, who described Hernando’s experience, said changes to FCC rules have removed a prior source of phone revenue that had contributed roughly $450,000 annually to the inmate welfare fund there, underlining revenue uncertainty for counties.

Next steps and timeline The sheriff suggested a 150–180 day transition window (aligning roughly with an Oct. 1 target to match the county fiscal year) if the board opts to move forward, and asked the board for more time to answer outstanding questions about property ownership, contract terms and grant eligibility. Commissioners asked staff to return with more detail on costs, legal issues and what would remain county‑owned vs. contractor‑owned if CoreCivic were to exit.

Key quote “The first year is going to be difficult… but once we’re stabilized and start looking at some of these revenue funds, we have the bed space to help offset costs,” the sheriff said.

What the board did next No vote was taken on a policy change at this meeting. Commissioners thanked the sheriff, asked for more detail on ownership, contract exit negotiations and grant eligibility, and asked staff for a follow‑up schedule. The presentation was treated as a time‑certain briefing that will inform possible future action.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A by the sheriff and Major Sean Klusnik; staff responses and commissioners’ questions at the April 28 Citrus County BOCC meeting.