Public commenter urges fiscal caution on sheriff's 2026-27 budget, says jail compliance can be achieved cheaply

Mr. Couch, introduced by the chair, used public comment time to flag concerns about the sheriff's proposed 2026-27 budget and to outline priorities for jail compliance and transition planning. "What I wanted to discuss was the budget for 2026 27th," he told the commission, adding he had reviewed the document and was "okay with the budget" overall but worried about spending that could constrain training and equipment after January 1.

Mr. Couch told commissioners the sheriff's office has multiple revenue sources, including property tax levies and coal gross proceeds, and that the department maintains a substantial cash reserve and capital improvement accounts. He said he is the only jailer on duty at times and emphasized administrative steps that could improve compliance without major capital expenditures. "I can get us into compliance greatly better than we are now without spending a dime other than printing out pieces of paper and using printer ink," he said. He disputed publicly circulated estimates of $60,0000,000 to reach compliance, calling those figures "greatly exaggerated."

Mr. Couch also urged a measured approach to longer-term planning: he said initiating research and funding groundwork for a new jail now would help future administrations even though construction would take many years. He referenced a planned peer review by an outside reviewer called Mako and said he preferred that review happen after January 1 so an incoming sheriff could participate. Commissioners acknowledged receiving Mr. Couch's concerns and told him the board would consider any proposals brought forward that showed merit and practicality.

Why this matters: the sheriff's budget funds public safety operations; questions about timing of spending and the scale of compliance costs affect training, equipment and the county's ability to meet jail standards without large capital projects.