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Delaware County Council approves resolution to join regional youth detention center
Summary
Council voted to approve Resolution 26-01 authorizing Delaware County to participate in a regional youth detention center, citing limits on local placement options, expected oversight roles for county representatives and projected operating budgets for the facility.
Delaware County Council on April 22 approved Resolution 26-01 authorizing the county to participate in a regional youth detention center, a step county officials said is intended to secure guaranteed bed capacity, improve oversight and reduce the logistical burden of sending young people out of county.
The resolution, moved by Vice Chair Luther and seconded by Councilwoman Schaffer, passed by voice vote after a presentation outlining the juvenile system's recent history. The presenter said the county's prior juvenile detention center had a capacity of 66 and an annual operating budget of about $4.5 million before it closed; projected operating costs for a regional arrangement were described as roughly $3.1 million for 2026 and $3.5 million for 2027, depending on contract decisions and retained outside placements.
"A greatly decreased need is not the same thing as no need," the presenter said, arguing the county still requires a reliable option when judges order short-term detention. The presentation listed problems that arise now—capacity shortfalls, inconsistent placements across multiple counties and lengthy transports for guardians and sheriffs—and said regional cooperation could guarantee beds and give Delaware County council representatives a role in oversight.
Council members asked about costs, oversight and alternatives. Vice Chair Luther said regional bed-sharing is "a cooperative effort" that can be fiscally sensible and allow counties to recoup costs when beds are used by others. Councilwoman Schaffer asked for more detail on the community-based shelter option described in the presentation and emphasized that any specific agreement would return to council for approval with numbers and terms.
The council vote approved the resolution as a policy commitment to pursue the regional arrangement and to allow staff to negotiate terms that would later be presented to the council for final approval. Chair Womack noted transportation and family-engagement challenges but said closer placement is preferable to repeatedly sending youth far from their communities.
The resolution passed by voice vote; terms and contract details were not finalized at the meeting and will be brought back to council for approval.
