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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Amid mounting financial strains, part of Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne’s plan for a balanced budget over the next two years relies on the sheriff’s office finally getting a handle on runaway overtime costs. During budget talks this week, Sheriff Harold Pretel insisted that new staffing models, scheduling changes and operational efficiencies should be able to bring costs in line with Ronayne’s projections. But his own fiscal team – and several county council members – aren’t convinced the math will hold up. Pretel’s recommended $200 million budget for 2026 and nearly $204 million for 2027 includes $18.2 million and $19 million for overtime, respectively. The numbers are similar to what was budgeted for overtime this year, however, they fall well below what the department is expected to spend this year: $23 million. The sheriff’s fiscal officers, Chris Costin and Donna Kaleal, said Tuesday that they’re planning to ask council this month for another $15 million to cover that tab and pay other bills through the end of the year. They said they also expect overtime costs will continue to increase by $2 million each year, as they have in the past five, potentially leaving another shortfall of $13 million in the budget next year. “I do not think it will be enough to get us through,” Costin said of Ronayne’s proposed budget. “History speaks for itself.” Kaleal echoed the concern, saying the numbers simply don’t add up. Rising pay and higher union allowances are pushing personnel costs higher than budgeted, she said. So even when overtime hours are decreased – by 4,000 hours this year, she said – the cost continues to climb. If that trend continues, she predicted overtime costs would be closer to $25 million next year, contributing to another $13 million gap in the sheriff’s budget for 2026. “Something is underfunded,” she said. Reducing overtime During discussions a day earlier, however, Pretel called Ronayne’s proposed budget “functional” and committed to trying to make it work. He said the office has already made progress in cutting down overtime hours and expected that to continue next year. “It could always be more,” Pretel said of his budget, later noting the office initially sought $117 million, “but we came to that number.” Among the changes expected to bring down overtime: the sheriff’s office shifted corrections officers off cleaning duties, trained trade and maintenance workers to move through jail areas without escorts and hired custodial and laundry crews to replace security staff. Those steps alone, Pretel said, saved more than $1 million. He also rolled out 10-hour shifts for corrections officers and started penalizing those who repeatedly called off, which also resulted in savings, he said. Now, he’s studying whether a 12- or 13.5-hour schedule could bring further savings, if functions are fully staffed. Currently, the sheriff’s office has 1,171 employees and 48 vacancies, mostly in jail operations. Pretel said he also expects significant savings from a new policy aimed at cutting overtime on medical transports, which currently doubles costs because the county must pay both the escorting deputy and another deputy to cover their regular shift. The office is in the process of training and arming some corrections officers to pair with a deputy on those runs instead. “All that put together I think is going to lead to significant reductions,” Pretel said. Councilman Mike Gallagher, who chairs the public safety committee, described the initiatives and potential savings as encouraging but uncertain, saying he doesn’t expect the relief to come overnight. But he continued to criticize that county officials “never [budget overtime] sufficiently,” noting years of underfunding overtime costs that have to be filled with reserve dollars by the end of the year. “While we have a jail and a sheriff, we’re going to have overtime,” Gallagher said. “My concern has been, budget it then.” He stressed that accurate budgeting is even more important this year, given the county’s many financial strains. Earlier, council learned of massive cuts to health and human services programs that help local many families but are necessary to balance the books. “We can’t be dipping into reserves,” Gallagher warned. The committee plans to revisit the sheriff’s budget on Nov. 17. Also from the budget Other highlights from the budget include:
