Kootenai County, Idaho Jail Overtime Budget Raised to $2.7 Million as Sheriff’s Office Outpaces Spending Projections
The Kootenai County Board of Commissioners has approved a second overtime budget increase for the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) this fiscal year, bringing the total authorized overtime budget to $2.7 million — nearly three times the original $925,000 set for fiscal year 2026. The action, taken at a meeting this week in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, comes after the agency was on track to exhaust its already-expanded budget seven months before the fiscal year closes on September 30.
Background: A Pattern of Budget Overruns at the Kootenai County Jail
Commissioners voted unanimously in March to raise KCSO’s overtime budget from $925,000 to $1.4 million as a short-term fix. That increase proved insufficient. In an April 16 letter to the board, Capt. Jeremy Hyle warned that the agency expected to overspend even that elevated budget by the end of April.
Commissioners Bruce Mattare and Marc Eberlein voted Tuesday to authorize the latest increase, adding another $1.3 million to bring the fiscal year total to $2.7 million. Commissioner Leslie Duncan was absent from the meeting.
Overtime costs at the sheriff’s office have climbed steadily year over year, according to KCSO’s own data. In 2023, the agency spent approximately $1.5 million covering roughly 31,300 overtime hours. That figure rose to $2.1 million for about 35,700 hours in 2024, and reached $2.4 million for approximately 36,100 hours in 2025.
“It’s actually going up a couple of grand every year,” Commissioner Mattare observed during the meeting.
Sheriff Norris Cites Jail Complexity and Staffing Demands
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris told commissioners that multiple, difficult-to-predict factors drive overtime hours at the county jail, including fluctuations in the inmate population, court-ordered transports to hearings and medical appointments, and minimum staffing requirements.
“We don’t know how many of those we’re going to have every year,” Norris said. He also noted that his agency is “dealing with an antiquated overtime system” that makes it difficult to accurately account for deputy hours.
Norris framed the additional funding as a matter of public safety, warning commissioners that approving less than the requested amount would increase the risk of “overdoses, escapes and deaths” in the jail before the fiscal year ends.
“We’re asking for $1.3 million to keep this community safe and keep order inside the jail,” he said.
“Costs go up,” Norris added, responding to Mattare’s observation about the year-over-year increases.
Impact on Kootenai County Residents and the County Budget
The additional $1.3 million will be drawn from the county’s facilities master plan fund, which currently holds approximately $9 million, according to Finance Director Brandi Falcon. Falcon told the board that tapping that fund was essentially the only available option short of dipping into emergency reserves.
Commissioners made clear they are not satisfied with the trajectory. Mattare stated that while he does not want to dictate how the sheriff’s office runs its operations, the responsibility falls on the agency to submit budget projections that are grounded in reality.
“I don’t want to be in a situation where we’re telling the sheriff’s office how to do their job,” Mattare said. “On the flip side, it’s incumbent upon them to present numbers that are realistic.”
Eberlein echoed that concern. “I would like to see (the budget) be stable instead of constantly fluxing,” he said.
The repeated mid-year budget adjustments raise broader questions about fiscal planning at the county level — and whether the facilities master plan fund, intended for long-term capital projects, is an appropriate ongoing source for operational shortfalls. Kootenai County taxpayers and observers of local government leadership will be watching how KCSO and the board address these structural issues heading into the next budget cycle.
What Comes Next
The current fiscal year runs through September 30, 2026. With the overtime budget now set at $2.7 million, commissioners and KCSO leadership will need to monitor spending closely over the remaining months. Budget planning for fiscal year 2027 will likely place added scrutiny on overtime projections from the sheriff’s office, particularly as the county manages competing demands on funds like the facilities master plan reserve.
Residents and property owners in North Idaho looking to track county spending decisions and other government actions can follow ongoing coverage at Idaho News Network. The Kootenai County Board of Commissioners meets regularly and the public is permitted to attend and comment on budget matters.