Potter County commissioners approved more than $91,000 in additional overtime funding Tuesday for the Potter County Sheriff’s Office as the department continues to deal with staffing pressures at the county jail.
Commissioners voted 4-0 to transfer $91,277 from a capital project fund to cover overtime expenses through the end of the fiscal year.
Chief Deputy Scott Giles told commissioners the Sheriff’s Office came up about three weeks short of having enough overtime money to maintain minimum staffing levels at the jail through the end of the fiscal year.
“We’ve had a lot of staffing pressure during the course of fiscal year 26,” Giles said.
Several issues have contributed to the higher overtime costs. Along with staffing shortages at the jail, deputies have been needed to provide around-the-clock security for inmates hospitalized outside the facility. The department has also faced increased transportation demands involving inmates being housed in other counties.
Turnover among corrections officers has added to the challenge. According to information presented to commissioners, the Sheriff’s Office hired 29 new corrections officers during fiscal year 2026, but continued departures have made it difficult to keep the jail fully staffed.
As overtime funding began to run low, officials considered using compensatory time instead of paying employees for additional hours worked. Under that option, employees would receive paid time off later rather than overtime pay.
Giles said comp time creates its own problem when staffing is already tight because employees may have difficulty finding opportunities to take the accumulated time off.
“Most employees, they want to be paid for working overtime,” Giles said. “And that’s understandable.”
Potter County Judge Nancy Tanner said she initially had concerns about what the additional expense would mean for the county budget.
“At first, I felt that it was going to be a problem,” Tanner said. “But I think all the commissioners decided to go ahead and go with it.”
The money will come from a capital project fund that had $350,000 available. After the $91,277 transfer, the fund will have $258,723 remaining.
For the Sheriff’s Office, maintaining adequate staffing is more than an operational concern. Giles said the jail must maintain minimum staffing levels to remain in compliance with state jail standards.
The county is already taking steps to address the issue heading into the next budget year. The Sheriff’s Office has increased the amount budgeted for overtime in fiscal year 2027 and plans to continue recruiting and advertising for corrections officers.
