Improved Vendor Service Creates $1.2 Million Shortfall in Sheriff’s Medical Budget

ARTICLE SUMMARY: The Will County Sheriff’s Office is facing a more than $1.2 million shortfall in its budget for inmate medical services, a problem officials attribute to an ironic cause: their medical vendor has improved its performance. The Finance Committee has postponed a request to use contingency funds to cover a portion of the gap.
Key Points:
• The Sheriff’s Office is short approximately $1.23 million needed to cover medical services at the Adult Detention Facility for the remainder of the fiscal year.
• The shortfall occurred because the county’s medical vendor has improved staffing and services, resulting in fewer contract penalties, which the budget had historically relied on to offset costs.
• The Finance Committee postponed a vote on a $618,743 contingency request for the October payment, asking the Sheriff’s Office to first identify potential savings within its own budget.

JOLIET – An unexpected consequence of good performance has created a seven-figure budget hole for the Will County Sheriff’s Office. Officials told the County Board’s Finance Committee on Tuesday that improved service from its inmate medical provider is the primary reason for a projected $1.23 million shortfall for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The Sheriff’s Office requested $618,743 from the county’s contingency fund to cover its October medical bill. Dave Adams of the Sheriff’s Office explained that in previous years, the budget relied on receiving significant financial penalties back from their medical vendor for failing to meet contractual benchmarks, such as staffing levels.

“We have improved the operation with the vendor. The vendor is actually giving us what we want. We’re getting great service,” Adams explained. “But the downside of that is we’re not getting those penalties and fees back, which we have grown accustomed to.”

The original budget for the line item was $6.3 million, though the department had requested about $7.4 million, closer to the full contract value. Now, with the penalty credits no longer materializing, the department lacks the funds to cover its monthly bills for October and November. The monthly bill is approximately $618,000.

“It looks like a bad thing today, but it’s generally overall it’s very good,” Adams said, noting that better medical care reduces the county’s legal liability in one of its “most litigious areas.”

Concerned about draining the county’s contingency fund, which holds roughly $700,000, committee members opted to postpone the request.

“I’m really concerned about wiping out the rest of our contingency,” said Committee Chair Sherry Newquist. “I’d rather see you guys try to come up with the money first.”

Finance department staffer ReShawn Howard said she would work with the Sheriff’s Office to identify potential savings elsewhere in its budget, such as from salary lines for vacant positions. A Sheriff’s Office representative confirmed they have enough funds for the September payment, making October the first month with a shortfall. The committee will revisit the issue next month after that internal search for funds is complete.