County leaders question $1.3 million cost to house inmates outside Trinity County

Chair opened a budget discussion that centered on jail operations and outside housing costs, saying the county is paying roughly $1,300,000 “for housing inmates outside the county.” He asked staff to produce a figure for how much it costs Trinity County to run its jail by the next Tuesday so commissioners could compare in‑county costs to current arrangements.

Staff member responded that the county currently has arrangements to hold inmates out of county and discussed capacity, while a committee member questioned reductions in sworn staff. The chair also flagged a recent shutdown related to a mechanical/load problem at the local jail, noting that issue prevented the county from placing inmates in the facility and increased outside housing needs.

The discussion also touched on staffing: the chair referenced a suggested reduction in officers (from 13 to 10) as part of budget options and said that, given the doubled costs of outside housing, the board needs exact running costs to evaluate the proposal. “I want you to figure out how much it cost us to run that jail by Tuesday,” the chair said.

No formal motion or vote was recorded at the session; commissioners requested follow‑up cost calculations and additional information on maintenance and interjurisdictional transport to inform any staffing or contracting decisions.