Riley County treasurer, clerk report steady fund balances and flag rising inmate medical costs

Charlotte Hager, Riley County treasurer, told the commission the county had “total assets of $78,000,006.71” and a January general fund balance of $14,001,329.66. She said January investment income was $298,004.57 and that the ARPA fund balance stood at about $2,144,000. Hager described sales‑tax receipts for the county and noted a miscommunication in this year’s road‑and‑bridge budget baseline that affects year‑to‑date comparisons.

Rich Margarelli, county clerk, reviewed 2026 year‑to‑date wages and overtime and said the commission’s internal benchmark is 8.33% of year‑to‑date budget; he pointed out a few departments slightly above that threshold (planning at about 10.47%). Margarelli warned that inmate medical and off‑site housing costs have risen substantially, noting last year’s off‑site inmate housing cost of $57,000 and a nearly $28,000 monthly physician/inmate medical figure that, if extrapolated, could push next year’s expense toward “just under $350,000.” He said he and staff anticipate a budget amendment for the Riley County Public Defender (RCPD) next year if that trend continues.

Neither Hager nor Margarelli proposed immediate cuts; both asked the commission to monitor trends and signaled staff would return with answers to detailed questions. The treasurer said the county had collected just over 54% of ad valorem taxes to date and that January revenue overall came in essentially at budget.

The commission did not take a formal vote on budget actions during the meeting; staff asked commissioners to review the reports and bring questions back to the clerk’s office.