Sheriff asks for custody techs and higher overtime; commissioners approve consultant and scale back overtime estimate

Captain Jeremy Hile told commissioners the sheriff's office projected significant vacancies into FY27 and asked for additional custody technician positions and an increased overtime allowance to maintain operations during hiring and training. Hile requested five custody technicians (loaded cost about $371,000) and outlined scenarios in which overtime needs shrink if those positions and detention deputies are hired on a phased timeline.

Hile explained that if the five custody technicians and sufficient detention deputies are on board and trained, overtime could be reduced toward roughly $1.25 million. "If we hire everybody on October one...we wouldn't need it [the full overtime ask]," Hile said, describing the interaction between hiring timelines, salary savings and overtime. Commissioners and staff discussed hiring/testing timelines, and Hile estimated about two to three of the custody technicians could be ready by Oct. 1, with the remainder by the end of the calendar year.

The board also discussed funding an external staffing review for the jail to ensure efficient operations and appropriate minimum staffing; commissioners cited quotes of $55,000 to $65,000 for a consultant. The board agreed to include roughly $60,000 as a one-time BCC budget item for a consultant and instructed staff to model overtime under the hiring phasing. Commissioner Matari and others said the consultant would be "money well spent" to validate staffing assumptions.

As a practical outcome of the deliberation, staff will budget a reduced FY27 overtime estimate for the sheriff's detention function (approximately $1.225 million) contingent on hiring and training milestones and will present consultant procurement options and a hiring-phased budget scenario at follow-up meetings.