Olmsted County Board to Vote on Rescinding Jail Fee Hike, Adopting $100 Increase with Annual Bumps

Rochester, MN (RochesterNow)- The Olmsted County Board of Commissioners is set to revisit the proposed increase of the daily fee charged to Dodge County to house their detainees. 

Olmsted County Board to Hold Another Vote on Jail Per Diem Fee

In August the board voted 4-3 to increase the daily per diem fee Dodge County pays to house detainees at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center from $75 per day to $323 per day. 

The vote resulted in Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose issuing a statement that indicated he would look to a different county to hold Dodge County detainees.

Read More: Dodge County Sheriff Responds to Olmsted County Jail Fee Hike 

 An amended motion to raise the daily fee to $100, which Rose described as a number he and Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson believed would win approval from the elected leaders, was rejected. 

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Commissioners Mark Thein, Gregg Wright, Laurel Podulke-Smith and Michelle Rossman approved the price hike, saying Olmsted County taxpayers should not subsidize detention costs for other counties. 

See Also: Rochester Man Gets 24 Years for Child Sex Abuse Conviction 

Commissioners David Senjem, Bob Hopkins and Brian Mueller opposed the fee increase. 

Sheriff Kevin Torgerson Discusses Daily Jail Fee

During an interview on News Talk 1340 KROC-AM and 96.9 FM’s Rochester Today, Sheriff Torgerson expressed his disappointment in the board’s decision.

He said the increase causing the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office to look for a different jail will result in the elimination of a revenue stream for the Olmsted County jail that could exceed $300,000 per year. 

Read More: Olmsted Jail Could Lose $300K After Dodge County Fee Hike

He also called the $323 daily cost to house Dodge County detainees misleading. The price hike is set to take effect on January 1, 2027. 

Motion from Commissioner Bob Hopkins

Commissioner Hopkins is putting forward a motion at Tuesday’s meeting that would rescind the motion approved last month and instead increase the per diem fee for Dodge County to $100. 

The agenda item also says the fee would increase by 3% annually.