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Jail health-care expenses top $1.0 million in budget discussion; county cites unpredictability
Summary
County staff presented the jail budget with inmate health-care costs discussed in the meeting around $1,000,299; commissioners noted the line is volatile and depends on inmate counts, psychiatric care and Blue Cross triggers. Alger County capacity is 50 beds with an average daily population around 33.
County staff warned the board that the jail's inmate health-care line is large and unpredictable; in committee discussion the figure discussed approached $1,000,299 for the jail budget line.
Staff explained the county contracts with Alger Correctional Healthcare to manage on-site nurse screenings and to determine when inmates must be taken to an outside hospital, which can trigger Blue Cross charges. The presenter said many inmates have mental-health needs and expensive medications, and those cases drive significant month-to-month volatility in the line item. The jail's capacity is 50 beds, with an average daily population of roughly 33, and the county receives intergovernmental revenue when it houses other counties' inmates (Luce County pays $42 per bed; Marquette County pays $45 per bed and covers medical costs).
Commissioners voiced concern about potential deficits if inmate counts spike. Staff said they have saved reserves in prior years and asked the board to avoid underbudgeting the unpredictable items; they recommended contingency planning and tighter year-end billing practices to keep expenditures aligned with the fiscal year in which they occur.
