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County says Aramark food contract adds transparency but could raise jail meal costs if population grows
Summary
Franklin County officials told commissioners April 8 that a new Aramark food‑service contract provides greater oversight and weekly reconciliations through the treasurer’s office, but a population‑based pricing matrix could increase costs if the inmate population exceeds thresholds.
County staff and the jail chief briefed the board April 8 on the Franklin County Corrections new food‑services contract with Aramark, explaining how the agreement shifts oversight and how costs vary with inmate counts.
Chief Harmon said the contract includes a pricing matrix tied to the jail population: "if we stay within 220 we won't see that 71,000 increase," he said, adding that rates rise if daily counts exceed 240 and scale up toward the jail’s maximum capacity. Harmon told commissioners Aramark uses multiple vendor sources to seek price competition, in contrast with the prior contractor, Summit, where oversight gaps resulted in a large shortfall.
Commissioners asked whether housing inmates for other jurisdictions (for example, the City of Pasco or Adams County) offsets meal charges. Harmon said those reimbursements do not fully offset costs because of added fuel and transport expenses and other operational factors.
County staff also described improved financial controls: commissary and meal reconciliations now run monthly through the treasurer's office, and weekly reporting provides better transparency on incoming funds and purchases. Harmon said the change aims to prevent the kind of multi‑year accounting shortfalls the county previously experienced under Summit; Harmon referenced a prior multi‑year loss that staff characterized as roughly in the nine‑hundreds of thousands.
The county approved the consent agenda, which included the contract briefing; commissioners said the contract should remain within the county’s budget if the population stays at or below the stated thresholds.
What happens next: county staff will monitor inmate counts and weekly reconciliations and report as part of routine budget oversight. If population increases create sustained higher food costs, commissioners may revisit contract terms or budget adjustments.
