Juvenile detention director tells Geary County commission bed‑day formula keeps request steady

Angela Hamilton, who identified herself as representing the juvenile detention facility, told the Geary County Commission the facility’s budget request for the coming year is largely driven by a five‑year rolling average of licensed bed days used by the program’s 15‑county interlocal agreement. "It's based off of the number of beds we have licensed," Hamilton said, describing how available bed days and multi‑year averages are used to keep allocations consistent.

Hamilton reported Geary County had used 233 bed days so far this year and recorded 651 electronic‑monitoring days to date. She said staffing, wages and insurance are the main drivers of cost growth and explained the county’s quarterly billing process. "We try to remain fairly consistent across the board," she said.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on what happens to unused funds; Hamilton said unused local payments effectively roll into the multi‑county rolling average and are used for care rather than being immediately returned to counties. Commissioners and the facility representatives discussed contingency plans when bed capacity is exhausted, with the facility describing state‑level coordination and a network of directors who help find out‑of‑county placements when necessary.

The presentation emphasized the facility’s approach to budgeting and the limits of short‑term forecasts: Hamilton said a five‑year averaging method is intended to smooth year‑to‑year fluctuations in arrests and length of stay. She concluded by answering questions about recent usage trends and noting the facility will present more detail to the board if requested.