Commissioners review jail funding trends and approve Waldo County inmate‑boarding contract

County Administrator Tim Curtis provided the board with a breakdown of jail funding at the Dec. 17 meeting: County Tax Cap $6,900,000; Federal Boarding $1,841,640; Other County Boarding $1,142,250; State Revenues $1,210,200; Fund Balance Transfer $617,268; total jail funding reported as $11,717,358. Curtis said five-year trends show stabilized staffing rates and increased boarding of out‑of‑county inmates, reducing the need for larger fund balance transfers and potentially lowering the tax cap.

Sheriff Lancaster reported 379 calls for service in the prior week and said the transition to Central Square communications software is improving. The Somerset County Jail completed an American Correctional Association (ACA) audit with 98.8% compliance on non‑mandatory standards and 100% compliance on mandatory standards; the Sheriff recognized Jail Administrator Michael Welch and his team. After entering executive session to discuss the inmate boarding contract, commissioners voted to approve a contract for boarding inmates from Waldo County and authorized the Sheriff to enter the contract; vote recorded as 5-0.