Reserve fund bolstered to work toward sheriff’s Office, jail payment

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

The Barry County Commission has approved the annual budget for 2026, preparing to spend up to $8.59 million across all departments and funds, $2 million more than last year after agreeing to move that equal amount into the reserve fund.

Joyce Ennis, Barry County Clerk, said the county has budgeted $8,599,895, with an estimated revenue projection of $6,253,100, plus $9,096,299 carried over from 2025 for a total appropriation of $15,349,399.

Ennis said the $2 million hike compared to last year’s $6.67 million budget is aimed at the longer-term goal of paying off the Barry County Sheriff’s Office and county jail property when the opportunity arises in eight years.

The reserve, Ennis said, will have about $11.5 million by the end of 2026, and with annual additions, the county hopes to pay off the property and still have a healthy reserve intact.

Major changes in the budget were few and far between this year, as the county is fully staffed and operating efficiently, according to county commissioners.

“We’re fully staffed and everything is working right, so it’s a good time to add to the emergency fund and keep giving us that extra bit of cushion,” said Gary Schad, northern commissioner.

“We want to pay off the ail in eight years so the loan doesn’t stretch out 20-30 years,” said Gary Blankenship, presiding commissioner.

The total cost for the Sheriff’s Office and jail was $17 million. The county intends to make two payments on the loan this year, $364,000 in April toward interest, and a combined payment of $914,000 in October, with $550,000 going toward principal and another $64,000 toward interest. Those payments will come out of the capital projects fund, budgeted at $2.5 million this year.

Ennis said the additional reserve fund boost is possible after the county spent only $4,851,913 of its budget in 2025, accounting for 72% of funds allocated, and total revenues to the county were nearly $7.2 million.

One line item going up this year is office supplies, going from $80,270 to $241,770. Ennis said elections are the primary cause for the hike.

That extra money is for election supplies, as we are buying new equipment at a cost of $96,000, plus we will have three full elections this year,” she said. “We are also developing an amortization schedule with payments from entities holding elections, which will let us set aside funds for new election equipment in the future.”

Blankenship said the new equipment should last about 9-10 years.

Budget lines going up slightly for general costs included the county clerk, building and grounds, employee benefits, treasurer’s office, collector’s office, recorder’ office and circuit court administration. Insurance went up, as did the public administrator, prosecuting attorney and coroner budgets. In addition to a 4% cost of living raise for all employees, Ennis said the county now offers a TeleDoc option, allowing employees to avoid copays by having virtual doctor’s visit for minor issues.

The raise in the prosecutor’s office fund is still intended to hire a crime victims advocate, a position that has remained vacant for two budgeting cycles and is split between the Sheriff’s Office and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Capital projects-wise, the county does not have any major project on tap, outside of finishing the renovation of the courtroom at the historic Barry County Courthouse, as well as intending to buy tanks, pumps and monitoring systems to allow for a fuel station at the Sheriff’s Office.

Schad said that purchase will allow the county to better predict and stabilize fuel costs. Gene Robbins, southern commissioner, said an example of potential savings with the move is that the county could buy fuel in bulk and avoid price fluctuations at the pump. And, if prices at the pump are lower than what the county paid for fuel, those who drive county vehicles can take advantage of the lower commercial cost until it goes back above the county’s bulk cost.

Projecting the $6.2 million in revenue this year, Ennis said that figure is conservative, as officials all agreed they expect interest rates to drop and a downturn to occur.

“Treasurer Greta Tripp has been doing a good job investing our money in preparation for a downturn,” Schad said.

One cost-saving measure the county took recently, Ennis said, was to take a lower mileage vehicle out of the Sheriff’s Office rotation for use by the Collector’s office, negating the need to buy a new vehicle.

Regarding law enforcement, the Barry County Sheriff’s Office has an approved budget of $4,930,501, an increase of just over $250,000 compared to 2025, with estimated revenue projection at $3,562,500. The $1,570,879 carried over from 2025 gives the office a total appropriation of $5,133,379. 

The Sheriff’s Office will also have an emergency fund of about $500,000 by the end of the year, and it spent $4,082,057 in 2025, accounting for 87% of last year’s allotment.

“All our elected officials worked hard on their budgets and are good stewards of taxpayer money,” Schad said.