Good morning. Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson asked the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 9 to hold off funding eight final deputy positions tied to a jail expansion until the sheriff’s office is ready to staff them in 2026.

Johnson told commissioners the county’s new jail space will require eight more deputies “to complete staffing for the new space at the jail and to be able to accommodate in-person visitation,” but said the office has not yet filled the 10 deputy positions previously authorized by the board last year. He recommended the board revisit funding in the second, third or fourth quarter of 2026 depending on hiring progress.

The sheriff’s presentation also described internal savings and revenue steps intended to reduce general-fund pressure: removing an annual jail-housing contract amendment (about $400,000 a year) because of a new facility opening, combining some jail and dispatch positions, and pursuing more accurate municipal contract billing so municipalities reimburse costs the sheriff’s office currently covers.

In related budget items discussed during the presentation, Johnson and Office of Financial Management staff described requests touching other county funds. The sheriff noted a number of vehicles in the department exceed the county’s 85,000-mile rotation target and said purchasing, equipping and making a vehicle fleet-ready takes roughly six months; some vehicles proposed for replacement are specialized mountain trucks that can cost roughly $300,000.

On the emergency services tax (Fund 151), the board heard that the Boulder County Firefighters Association initially requested a much larger increase to the county training budget to expand training, including emergency medical training for rural firefighters. Commissioner Loachman (who is the lead for that tax) proposed a more modest $100,000 increase at this time. County staff said that the association’s larger proposal would leave an estimated one-year shortfall (about $147,000) that the association could pursue with a one-time grant, but that the grant would not create ongoing funding for the proposed EMS training expansion.

Commissioners asked follow-up questions about whether the sheriff’s reductions listed were exhaustive, about the timing of hiring for the new deputies, and about how fleet purchases could be funded from one-time sources such as Fund 151 when eligible. Johnson said he appreciated the board’s clarity supporting staffing the new jail space but reiterated his recommendation to delay immediate funding until the office can staff the positions.

Ending: The board received the informational presentation and directed staff to return with more detailed budget spreadsheets and timing information as the county proceeds through public hearings next week. No formal vote or funding decision was taken at the Oct. 9 meeting.