Jay County Council spends three hours on 2026 proposal

Council members didn’t spare department heads from scrutiny at their budget review.

Jay County Council took a closer look at its proposed budget for 2026 during a more than three-hour meeting Tuesday. No formal decisions were made at the meeting, which serves as a precursor to council’s public hearing and first reading of the budget slated for 6 p.m. Sept. 24.

The county’s 2026 budget is estimated at $27,018,255, which is up approximately $2.9 million (roughly 12%) from the current year. Proposed changes include up to $1.35 million in additional dollars for bridge repair and replacement, 3% raises across the board and three new correctional officer roles with Jay County Jail.

Council reviewed departments’ proposed budgets on Tuesday, poring over funds with significant increases from 2025. 

Jay County Highway Department budgeted an additional $1.35 million into its cumulative bridge fund for culverts and bridge repairs.

Jay County highway superintendent Bob Howell talked about the need to repair bridges across the county. Hopes are to use the additional dollars as matching funds for grants.

Highway department administrative assistant Stephanie Klarer explained the county is now applying for Community Crossings grants for bridge repairs. Previously the county had been applying for road paving projects.

“Since we have a bridge problem, we’re focusing on that,” she said. “It definitely costs a lot more money, our match.”

There are 157 bridges in Jay County, noted Klarer. Answering a question from council vice president Cindy Bracy, she and Howell said 10 of those bridges are in dire need of repair. County officials have started seeking funding or working on repairs to all but one of those bridges, they added.

The alternative to repairing unsafe bridges, explained Howell, would be to close sections of county roads.

Klarer shared plans to begin a rotation cycle for repairing and replacing bridges moving forward.

Per direction from council, department heads incorporated 3% raises for employees into their budgets for next year, a $260,754.20 increase from the current year. A few departments also suggested additional payroll changes. 

Jay County Sheriff Ray Newton requested adding three new correctional officers — it would be an additional $134,264.22 — to his staff. He pointed to a jail staffing study completed in spring 2024 as directed by the state jail inspector. (Prior to last year, the jail hadn’t undergone a staffing study in a decade.) The study indicated a need at that time for an additional nine correction officers to safely staff the facility.

Newton added three correctional officer positions to the jail at the beginning of 2025. He explained next year’s additional jobs would help the department continue to work toward filling staffing needs.

“Basically, we’re understaffed,” he said. “There again, we’re having a hard time retaining people.”

He noted the department has gone through 36 correction officers since 2023.

“This is a job that not really too many people want to do,” he said.

Newton pointed out the high turnover has resulted from employees quitting — he referenced higher wages at other law enforcement agencies, including Portland Police Department — as well as terminations. As of Tuesday, the department had three open correctional officer positions.

Amid discussion, Newton pointed out the jail’s average daily inmate count has decreased significantly this year. In 2024, Jay County Jail averaged between 80 and 100 inmates. So far this year, it has averaged 50.

Part of Newton’s budget request also included an additional $100,000 for medical and hospital supplies. Newton pointed out the jail also takes care of its inmates’ medical needs, explaining his goal is to eventually have medical staff at the jail at all times.

Jay County coroner Brayden Fields requested a 15% raise, an approximately $3,000 increase from the current year, as well as doubling his department’s amount allotted for part-time help and increasing his budget for deputies by $3,500.

Council member Bryan Alexander asked if the raise aligned with the median pay for jobs as determined by a wage study completed by consulting firm Waggoner, Irwin, Scheele and Associates. Jay County auditor Emily Franks confirmed Fields’ pay as of this year is caught up with the study’s suggested amount.

Council president Matt Minnich questioned the increases in the part-time and deputies funds. Fields said based on the amount of calls they’ve received — he said it’s double the amount of last year — he’s been planning for the future. As of Tuesday, his remaining funds for deputies are $1,100 and part-time help is $660. He also pointed to required training costs.

Jay County Commissioners’ budget increased to just over $4 million, a roughly 16% bump from the current year. A chunk of the nearly $573,000 in additional funding results from an increase of $100,000 for a computer maintenance contract, a $105,000 increase to building and liability insurance per rising rates and a $33,500 increase for telephone fees.

Other increases largely came from employment, such as the choice to begin paying employees’ longevity ($103,400) out of the commissioners’ budget, a $108,768 increase for group health insurance and a $67,600 increase to workers’ compensation as a result of recent claims.