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Sheriff's office asks commissioners to fund jail staffing, equipment and medical costs as mental‑health cases rise
Summary
Sheriff's office presented a multi‑part FY‑27 budget request that highlights rising call volume, an increasing jail population driven by local (non‑federal) inmates, large medical and prescription costs tied to inmates with serious mental illness, and capital asks including vehicles, radios, drones and body cameras.
The McLennan County Sheriff’s Office told commissioners on July 14 that rising calls for service and an increasingly complex jail population are driving urgent budget pressures and a slate of personnel and capital requests for fiscal year 2027. Sheriff’s office presenters said the county’s average daily jail population has hovered around 1,400, and local (non‑federal) bookings have grown enough to force a reduction in federal inmates housed under contract—a change the office estimates has reduced revenue by roughly $4.5 million annually.
Presenters described a surge in mental‑health work inside the jail: "Our mental health call volume goes up as well as the amount of time that each deputy spends on a mental health call," a chief said, adding many such incidents require four to six hours of deputy time. The office said inmates with a serious mental illness comprise about 36% of the jail population but account for more than half of custody days, and that the increase in medical acuity has pushed outside medical services and pharmaceuticals sharply higher.
The presentation laid out specific budget lines and requested items: contractors and capital outlay for jail kitchen and laundry equipment, a dishwasher‑lease package and related table installation, translators for booking, replacement radios compatible with the new tower, a Faraday locker to preserve digital evidence, drones and thermal units for search and investigations, and expansion of body‑worn camera coverage to high‑liability areas such as booking and the criminal investigations division. Officials also requested 12 fleet replacements this cycle and a number of prioritized copiers and facility repairs.
On personnel, the sheriff’s office proposed creating or reclassifying positions including an internal‑affairs sergeant, a training deputy, A‑ and B‑shift booking corporals, and an RN assigned to booking/intake to identify medical problems earlier. Presenters argued these roles would improve timeliness, documentation and legal readiness for internal investigations and reduce risks tied to booking errors and use‑of‑force incidents.
Commissioners asked follow‑ups on vehicle replacement rationales, radio vendor pricing and phased approaches for capital items; staff repeatedly proposed phasing large projects across years to reduce immediate budget impact. The court took several votes earlier in the meeting on related contracts and bid awards and directed staff to return with more detailed financing and schedule information where needed.
The court did not adopt any new tax or funding measure during the session; several commissioners signaled openness to phased funding and asked for further analysis of ongoing and personnel costs. The sheriff’s office said it would return with requested clarifications and additional documentation as budget conversations continue this week.
