Housing Inmates will Cost More Daily at BSRDC; Auditor Says Facility is Deeply in the Red

By: ROBERTA CANTRELL

BSN Editor

The cost of housing inmates at the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center will cost more for the counties as the jail board voted Friday, November 14 to raise the rate to $36.34 per day.

After an audit by Darrell Blair showing the facility was deeply in the red financially with detailed revenues of $2,951,498 against expenditures of $3,615,686 for the 2025 fiscal year and revealed an annual payroll topping $2 million making the increase in housing costs a necessity.

In response, the board instructed bookkeeper Pam Burgess to prepare a projection of potential housing revenues at various rates. She delivered those figures Friday, warning that the jail was continuing to operate in the red.

According to board members, much discussion and several options were turned down before a decision could be agreed upon.

“We’re operating at a $20,000 deficit,” Burgess told the board.

Board member Steve Rose asked whether it would take a $10 increase “just to hold us, not putting any in the bank.”

“That would just help us to stabilize,” Burgess confirmed, adding that payroll has been running between $62,000 and $68,000 every two weeks.

Rose proposed that the board raise the rate by $10 for three months, through January, and revisit the matter afterward. That proposal failed.

A subsequent motion to raise the rate by $8.50 which also failed. Rose then called for a $5 increase. Board members fired back with a motion to raise the rate to $35.34 to match the state rate, which also failed. The final motion to raise the rate by $5 to $36.34 passed 9-1.

The rate went into effect Saturday for Martin, Johnson, Lawrence and Magoffin counties.