County staff asks commissioners for $58,473 in opioid‑settlement funds to cover a pretrial officer salary

Ani Morley, interim director of board services, told Jefferson County commissioners on Aug. 7 that court services is requesting $58,473 in opioid-resettlement funds to cover a pretrial officer's salary for 2026 to maintain pretrial coverage and assessments.

Morley said the department's 2026 anticipated expenses total approximately $2,100,000 and that available funds projected at the time were about $1.6 million, leaving a deficit of roughly $188,618 after internal cuts and unfilled positions. "After making all of those cuts... we're still here with a deficit of a $188,618," Morley said. She explained that the office currently has two pretrial officers and a coordinator, and that cutting a position would leave only one person to cover arrests and assessments year‑round, affecting the court's ability to evaluate risk and set bond. "Without help from Jefferson County right now, I can't guarantee that we will have someone who's able to do that 365 days a year," she said.

Morley asked commissioners for one‑time opioid-resettlement funding for the 2026 salary line. Commissioners discussed forming a committee to review multiple funding requests and a county official noted that the request would fall under the restricted‑funds requirements. No formal appropriation vote was taken at the meeting; commissioners said they will consider requests and expected to set up a review process.

Details provided at the meeting: Morley presented a budget packet and noted the department had reduced staffing costs by not filling a supervisor and another position. She said pretrial staff supervise about 90 participants on active pretrial monitoring and perform assessments judges use to set or reduce bond, which she said often involve cases with substance-use issues.

Next steps: Commissioners said they would organize a committee to review opioid-resettlement funding requests and other applications; staff will provide requested backup documentation and the county will consider the pretrial funding request as part of that process.