Local
Dane County budget debate pits body-camera safeguards against sheriff’s funding requests
Two proposed amendments would change funding for a planned 200-camera rollout and redirect about $500,000 from vacant deputy jobs to human services and nonprofit groups. Sheriff Kalvin Barrett warns the staffing cut could drive up overtime costs, while supervisors backing the camera amendment want policy and public input in place before deployment.
Dane County supervisors are weighing changes to County Executive Melissa Agard’s proposed 2027 budget that would affect the sheriff’s office body-camera expansion and three vacant deputy positions.
One amendment from Supervisor Heidi Wegleitner would remove $3 million proposed for 200 cameras intended to extend the program countywide. It cites the need for more public input on policy. A separate amendment, co-sponsored by Supervisor Yogesh Chawla, would require the county to finalize rules on camera footage storage, retention and access, and hold another public hearing, before deploying cameras.
Chawla said he supports developing the program alongside its policies, with input from the sheriff’s office, deputies, county officials and residents. He said the amendment is meant to ensure the program is ready to work well from the start, not to oppose body cameras.
Barrett said a draft policy has been public for years and that the department’s current work builds on it and incorporates feedback from focus groups. He said the sheriff’s office plans additional outreach in northeastern and southeastern parts of the county, but that work will not be complete before the board votes. Barrett also said community organizations, including the NAACP, have sent letters supporting the program. Wegleitner had not responded to requests for comment.
A different amendment, co-sponsored by Wegleitner, would eliminate three vacant deputy positions and redirect about $500,000 to the county Human Services Department and nonprofit partners, including Urban Triage and the YWCA. Residents speaking at a Public Protection and Judiciary Committee meeting supported shifting the money toward housing and human services.
Barrett opposed the proposed transfer, arguing that taking funds from one department to pay for another does not address underlying needs. He said the sheriff’s office has not added deputies since 2022, when it hired a training deputy and a detective, and that staffing has since stayed flat or fallen.
The sheriff said vacancies can leave the department relying on overtime to cover mandated duties, which he argued may cost taxpayers more. The office reported spending more than $6.7 million on overtime in 2025, over twice its budget for that expense.
The amendments put competing budget priorities in focus: expanding accountability tools while settling the rules for their use, and directing more resources to social services while maintaining sheriff’s office staffing. The County Board is expected to continue debating changes to the 2027 budget in the coming weeks.