Sheriff Budgets in Chaos: What Went Wrong?

The state’s budget rules for county sheriffs have been exposed as badly broken, prompting lawmakers to demand a thorough overhaul. A new investigation revealed that many sheriff’s offices have spent far more than the money they were legally given, sometimes by huge margins. Officials point out that this extra spending comes from two main problems: the state under‑funds the offices and the sheriffs themselves overspend. Because lawmakers only see the numbers after the money is already spent, they cannot stop the waste before it happens. The report also uncovered that sheriffs have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra pay, a practice not approved by law. In addition to jail costs, sheriff’s departments run civil process units that collect fees for subpoenas and property seizures. Those fees can add up to millions, yet they are rarely checked by the state.Some sheriffs claim that last year’s higher costs were due to raises and free phone calls for inmates. The state did give them about $27 million to cover these programs, but then stopped funding other needs while the probe was ongoing. The state’s budget leaders say it is urgent to clamp down on questionable spending and rebuild trust in the sheriff’s offices. A final report is expected by the end of May, after a preliminary version was already released last week. Sheriff associations have said they would welcome any review that improves public confidence and helps keep facilities safe. At the same time, several sheriffs are facing serious accusations: misuse of campaign money, drunken driving, and even extortion. One sheriff has stepped down after agreeing to pay a fine for illegally using campaign funds, while another is still fighting federal charges. These scandals have put the usually quiet sheriff positions in the spotlight, showing that even elected officials can be held accountable.