The police department is requesting to increase expenditure approval from $435,000 to $720,000 for fiscal year 2023 due to an increase in Maricopa County jail service fees. The department is also requesting approval for the transfer of $180,200 from the city's contingency fund to cover a portion of the increase.

Approve the expenditure of an additional $285,000 for jail services for a total of $720,000 in expenditures for FY2023, and approve the transfer of $180,200 from contingencies to pay for jail services through the end of the fiscal year. (Santiago Rodriguez, Chief of Police)

The department was funded for jail services in the FY2023 police operating budget in the amount of $435,000. The current request expands expenditure authorization to $720,000 as a result of the increased cost of jail bookings and housing. The department will absorb $63,000 of the increased costs. The department is requesting a transfer from contingency to cover the remaining $180,200. The FY2024 City Manager's Recommended Budget includes increased allocation of funds to meet this cost on an ongoing basis.

On June 6, 2022, Council approved the FY2023 final budget and tax levy, which included expenditure authority within the Police Department operating budget in the amount of $435,000 to pay for jail services. The current request increases the budget and expands expenditure authorization to $720,000 as a result of the increased cost of jail services. This estimate will provide capacity to pay for all jail services through Maricopa County through the end of FY2023 with adjustments having been made in the FY2024 budget to address the increased costs.

The cost for jail services has increased dramatically for all police agencies in Maricopa County due to increased costs for technology infrastructure, new facilities, existing facility maintenance, and staffing. The increase in management and operating costs is combined with the loss of federal CARES Act credits, and increased numbers of arrests across the Maricopa County jail system since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. These combined increases have impacted the contracted cost we pay for booking and housing fees. The department has reviewed it's remaining operating budget and was able to absorb $63,000 without impacting departmental contracts or planned purchases. The additional $180,200 is needed to adequately fund jail services for the remainder of FY2023.