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Parker County warned to budget roughly $4.7 million more next year as jail contract costs rise
Summary
County staff told the Commissioners Court that a new jail services contract and rising out‑of‑county housing pushed next year’s jail estimate from about $12M to roughly $16M, with commissioners discussing building options and a possible bond vote.
County budget staff told the Parker County Commissioner's Court on Aug. 15 that jail costs are driving a major increase in next year’s general‑fund budget.
Mark Garnett, who presented contract details, said the county has raised its daily population estimate from 500 to 525 after actual usage exceeded earlier projections and a new contract that takes effect Oct. 1 raised the per‑diem. “The daily rate increases quite a bit from what it has been this fiscal year,” Garnett said, and he warned the county already has inmates housed out of county.
Garnett listed ancillary costs not captured by a simple per‑diem: he estimated transportation runs about $1,500 per inmate per year and reported year‑to‑date guard‑hire costs of $180,005.85 and out‑of‑county transportation of $26,744. Those additional line items, he said, produce a materially higher total cost if the county must ship inmates elsewhere.
Staff and commissioners reviewed totals showing the current fiscal year jail budget around $11.96 million and next year’s estimate near $16.0 million, an increase commissioners described as roughly $4.7 million that they characterized as a mandatory priority for the coming year. Commissioners discussed short‑term and long‑term responses: keep contracting and manage transports, expand the existing facility, or pursue a new justice center. Several commissioners floated a bond measure and town halls to seek voter approval for a long‑term solution.
The county also traced historical per‑diem changes: $52.30/day in FY21‑22, $61.50 in FY22‑23, $73.80 in the current year and a projected $87.45 for the next fiscal year. Staff noted the jail services contract runs five years with built‑in increases and a 30‑day opt‑out clause for the contractor, a clause that could force the county to rapidly assume operations if the vendor withdraws. The court did not take a formal vote on the jail contract at this workshop; staff said the budget and tax‑rate timeline will proceed through public hearings later in August and adoption votes in September.
