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Sheriff's office reviews budget cuts amid rising jail medical costs
Summary
A sheriff's office representative told the Dickinson County Commission vehicle-leasing and fleet changes allow deep cuts to vehicle-maintenance spending, but jail medical costs are rising — the jail budget shows a modest overall increase while inmate medical care is projected to rise by about $77,000.
A sheriff's office representative reviewed the department's proposed 2027 operating budgets at a Dickinson County Commission meeting, saying vehicle leasing will let the office cut vehicle-maintenance spending by roughly 39% and eliminate two spare vehicles from the fleet.
The presenter said several line items were trimmed or reallocated to show ongoing operating costs accurately rather than one-time capital purchases, including moving some taser and less-lethal equipment costs from capital into department operations for transparency. Contract services and small operating lines saw modest increases or small cuts depending on anticipated needs.
The most substantial single increase in the jail budget is for inmate medical care: the presenter said the county had increased contracted nursing coverage from six hours a week to 20 hours a week, a change that accounts for an approximately $77,000 rise in the jail’s medical line. "We bumped our nursing staff from six hours a week to 20 hours a week," the sheriff's office representative said, noting the rise in inmate medical costs is the primary driver of the jail-side increase.
Commissioners discussed the county's ability to house out-of-county inmates on occasion as a revenue source and questioned whether staff experience and training levels are sufficient if occupancy grows. The presenter acknowledged staffing experience is limited and said there could be "growing pains" if occupancy rose quickly.
The commission did not take a separate public vote on the budget during this session; the presentation served to inform the commissioners and to surface issues — staffing, transport arrangements, and insurance/contracted services — for further review before budget adoption.
