County demands Sheriff Ugarte address $6M jail overtime deficit

El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego sent a Sept. 15 letter to Sheriff Oscar Ugarte demanding immediate action on unauthorized overtime spending, according to El Paso Matters. The letter, sent on behalf of the Commissioners Court, outlined unmet action items related to the Sheriff's Office budget deficit.

The Sheriff's Office is expected to end the fiscal year Sept. 30 with a deficit of about $6 million, largely driven by overtime spending at the two county jails, according to the outlet. Overtime expenditures at the facilities have more than doubled since Ugarte took office in January 2025, despite a 10% drop in the average daily jail population.

"While the Commissioners Court appreciates the operational demands placed upon your department, the financial impact on the County requires immediate attention and renewed collaboration," the letter states, according to El Paso Matters. The county initially sent similar requests to Ugarte in April during a special meeting to review overtime spending.

The letter demanded that Ugarte cease all unauthorized overtime unless pre-funded through an approved budget amendment, identify funding sources for any proposed budget transfers, and adhere strictly to county financial policies. It also requested overtime reports including employee names, ranks, assigned tasks, and work locations. None of these items have been fulfilled, according to the letter.

Ugarte said in a statement that the Sheriff's Office has worked to reduce overtime since April and is compiling the requested data. "We understand the County's financial policies and take its budget concerns seriously," Ugarte said. "But as we have repeatedly explained, we cannot eliminate overtime entirely while safely operating two detention facilities and meeting our responsibility to public safety."

The Sheriff's Office had a $3 million overtime allocation for the fiscal year, increased to about $6.6 million in January through a Commissioners Court-approved budget transfer. The letter also requested that Ugarte meet with the county attorney and a county administration member by Oct. 1 to address overtime and budgetary concerns.

Budget and Finance Director Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria said the funding to cover the deficit will come from county contingencies and salary and operational savings from other departments. "We are currently projecting an overall surplus due to higher than budgeted revenues and lower than expected expenses," Arrieta-Candelaria said, according to El Paso Matters.