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Sheriff outlines budget pressures — fuel, vet bills and detention reclassifications drive increase
Summary
Sheriff Jacob Welsh briefed commissioners on his 2027 budget, citing fuel at about $3.34 per gallon, rising veterinary costs for stray-animal pickups, a planned patrol vehicle replacement costing $60,000–$75,000, and a reclassification of detention-center line items that creates large percentage increases in some categories though total budget growth is about 1.4% (~$87,000).
Sheriff Jacob Welsh told commissioners on June 30 that several operational costs are pushing his office's 2027 budget higher but that the overall increase is modest when reclassifications are taken into account.
Welsh said fuel is averaging about $3.34 per gallon this year and is the primary driver behind a commodities increase. He said the county has had a rash of stray-animal pickups that have increased veterinary expense and noted a stray-animal fund balance of about $38,216; usage and accounting of that fund were discussed but not definitively changed.
On fleet needs, Welsh said he did not budget for a patrol car in the current year but expects replacement needs of $60,000–$75,000 for an upfitted patrol vehicle. On detention budgeting, Welsh explained a reorganization that moved hygiene costs into an "inmate welfare" category and reclassified custodial costs under maintenance, producing large year-over-year percentage changes in some columns even though the net budget increase was roughly 1.4% (about $87,000).
He also acknowledged an earlier miscalculation on 2026 health-insurance figures, noting an error in the benefit totals used in the prior year's budget and the need to reconcile actual costs with budgeted numbers.
Commissioners asked questions about patrol-vehicle procurement timing and about stray-animal fund usage. Welsh said he is pursuing grant opportunities to help with fleet costs and that some budget variances are timing and classification issues that will be clarified as the county finalizes the 2027 budget.
