Sheriff’s judicial services staff and the sheriff’s operations team told commissioners the bulk of several programs are reimbursed by state or federal grants, but the jail and detention revenues that offset county costs continue to decline.

Kelly Friesen, who described the Judicial Services Division as largely reimbursed by grants or state funding, told commissioners that programs such as the JBB(S) grant reimburse staff salaries and that program expenses can appear larger than direct county revenue because the grants reimburse personnel costs rather than adding net revenue. Friesen said the division had been directed to reduce its budget earlier in the process and that most programs were effectively revenue‑neutral because services produce matching reimbursements.

Separately, county staff and the sheriff’s team reported a decline in jail‑related revenues. County presenters said that reduced collections from inmates’ fines and other jail revenue — and wider state court and program practices — had reduced the offset to the county’s jail operating costs. County staff signaled those revenue declines are likely to continue absent changes at the state level.

In operations, the sheriff’s office proposed adding a traffic‑safety emphasis. Rather than adding two full‑time deputies (an estimated quarter‑million dollars after pay and equipment), the sheriff proposed a $50,000 increase in overtime so deputies could voluntarily work short traffic‑enforcement shifts from their days off. Commissioners said they had observed heightened traffic‑safety presence over the summer and supported continuing enforcement, noting that the visible presence and targeted stops had appeared to reduce reckless driving in some areas.

The sheriff’s staff discussed technology and vehicle spending: the department is moving toward an electronic citation system the presenters called DigiTicket, which scans IDs and registrations and prepopulates citation fields to reduce the time officers spend on each traffic stop. That platform carries startup costs and an annual subscription; county staff said start‑up could be in the low six‑figures with smaller ongoing costs, and said they were seeking interagency participation to share costs.

Commissioners and sheriff staff also reviewed capital vehicle purchases and repairs. The department noted ongoing vehicle maintenance costs, including engine and transmission work in some patrol vehicles, and said the department was completing a transition away from leases toward purchases for some fleet items.

Commission staff said that deputies’ pay plan work is underway and that recruitment and retention have improved; vacancies across the sheriff’s office have fallen compared with the prior year. Staff also highlighted the jail medical contract with Southern Health Partners and said that the county will review a cost pool and any year‑end rebates as the contract’s first year completes.

The discussion covered multiple budget lines — grant revenues, operating expenses, overtime, equipment and vehicles — and commissioners asked staff to track revenue declines from jail operations as they finalize the 2026 budget.