Commission split on regional juvenile detention center budget

MOUND CITY – The Linn County Commission on Monday, July 3, was presented with several proposed budgets that had increases from last year’s budget.

Michael Walden, director of the Southeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center, presented its 2024 budget request of about $62,900, a $4,400 increase.

Discussion was held on how Linn County became a part of the regional detention center and whether commissioners wanted to continue to pay yearly to the regional center rather than per diem at another facility.

Over the past few weeks, Linn County Sheriff Kevin Friend and the commissioners had discussed pulling out of the regional detention center because few juveniles from Linn County went there.

While it is not a statutory requirement that Linn County belong and pay yearly to this facility, the county does have a contract that requires them to make notice by July 1 if they are not going to pay the yearly fee.

The commissioners voted 2-to-1 to tentatively approve the $62,900 budget. However, they plan to look into whether they will stay with this facility next year.

Commission Chair Danny McCullough, who is the representative on the detention center’s board, voted against the proposed budget but said he planned to learn more about the facility and other options before next year.

Other budgets tentatively approved were:

• Information technology (IT) 2024 budget for about $198,200, an increase of nearly $35,000.

• Health Department for about $449,400.

• Custodian budget for about $153,100, an increase of nearly $5,600.

• Solid Waste budget for about $744,600, an increase of $24,100.

• Economic Development budget for $114,200, a $7,000 increase.