Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee Meeting - Budget Hearings - 10/21/26 @3pm

Orange County, New York, Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee budget hearing, October 21, 2026: The committee reviewed the jail and Sheriff’s Office budgets and approved amendments funded from fund balance. For the jail, members added $210,000 to overtime, bringing the line to about $4.01 million, and approved the amended budget. Officials warned that vacancies and operational demands could push overtime above budget. Members also discussed a roughly $2 million gap for contracted jail medical services; no resolution was recorded. For the Sheriff’s Office, the committee approved $275,000 more for overtime and $500,000 for vehicle outfitting. The Sheriff’s Office said it had signed a new vehicle-leasing agreement with Enterprise and had an RFP out for an upfitting contract; the outfitting funds would support replacement vehicles. A police traffic-services grant for enforcement details, including distracted-driving and seat-belt initiatives, was also approved, though the transcript does not clearly capture the grant amount.

The committee discussed capital needs, including a proposed range building for training and a replacement public-safety boat, for which officials were exploring FEMA funding and an estimated local contribution of about $220,000; the transcript does not clearly establish a final funding action on those items. It also advanced Local Law No. 9 of 2026, establishing controls for automated license-plate-reader and surveillance systems on county property and rights-of-way, including limits on external data sharing, query logs, and audits. The law would permit secure, locally controlled systems and could affect vendors and municipalities seeking to install connected surveillance equipment on county roads.