Item Description:
title
Budget Compliance for Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office - offered by Commissioner Conley
end
Resolution:
body
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is not authorized to exceed the 2026 board authorized expenditure authority for their department or staffing complement, as measured by Full-Time Equivalents, without prior County Board approval; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in 2026 the County Administrator is directed to provide the County Board with monthly reports outlining monthly expenditures, staffing levels and total year-to-date expenditures compared to year-to-date budget; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in 2026, if the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office expenditures exceed their year-to-date budget, the County Administrator and Chief Human Resources Officer are directed to not authorize external posting for positions or hire new employees in the Sheriff’s Office, except for Detention Deputies serving directly within the Adult Detention Center, Telecommunicator positions, and other positions critical for the HCSO to meet its statutory mandates; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in 2026, if the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office expenditures exceed their year-to-date budget, the County Administrator is directed to provide the County Board with monthly hiring updates that identify the positions the HCSO has been authorized to hire.
end
Background:
The County Board, under Minn. Stat. § 383B.111, is responsible for adopting an annual budget for the next fiscal year, which is to be a complete financial plan for the next year. In the last four years (2023-2026), the HCSO budget has grown from $141.2 million to $182.5 million, a 29.2% increase. During this period, the property tax revenue in the HCSO budget has grown from $122.5 million to $162.6 million, which is a 33% increase.
Minn. Stat. § 383B.112 mandates that the County’s annual budget shall not include expenditures in excess of estimated revenues plus any surplus amounts deemed to be available at the end of each fiscal year. In 2025, the HCSO had an approved budget of $169,245,647 and it is anticipated that the HCSO will exceed that budget by more than $10 million. The HCSO’s adopted budget for 2026 is $182,451,997 and includes authorization for 883 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. The adopted budget for 2026 includes a 12.8% increase in property tax revenue from 2025.
In January 2026, total expenses for the HCSO were $17.5 million. This is approximately $2.3 million over the budgeted expenses for one month. Overtime expenses in January were $1.3 million. This is approximately $860,000 over budget for the month. Most, but not all of this, was due to Operation Metro Surge, which resulted in overtime costs of $453,000 for January 7 - January 24, 2026. FTEs for the last pay period in January 2026 were 869.7, 13.3 FTEs under the budgeted amount of 883.0.
The 2026 budget includes a personnel vacancy factor of $9.6 million or the equivalent of approximately 72 vacant FTEs for the entire year. This budget also includes an overtime budget of $5.6 million for 2026. Projecting from the January 2026 personnel expenses for 869.7 FTEs (13 fewer than their complement) and January overtime expense of $1.3 million, the HCSO could overspend its adopted budget by more than $15 million if changes are not made.
Minn. Stat. § 387.20 subdivision 6 requires the County Board to adopt a budget for the Sheriff by resolution that provides for:
1. the salaries of deputies, jailers, matrons, bailiffs, clerks and other employees in the office of the Sheriff;
2. other expenses necessary in the performance of the duties of said office, including the reimbursement of the sheriff or a designee for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in furnishing board, laundry and other services to prisoners in the county jail, provided that the county board may at its option provide for the furnishing of these services to the prisoners;
3. the payment of premiums of any bonds or license fees required of the sheriff or any deputy or other employee in said office; and
4. mileage allowances prescribed by the board and the board is authorized to appropriate funds therefor and for the salary of the sheriff.
The County’s Administrative Manual policy on Budget and Financial Responsibilities outlines that the annual budget as adopted by the County Board is appropriated at the departmental level and that departments are responsible for containing expenditures within the total department allocation.
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: No Recommendation