Editor’s note: This is one of two stories examining Delaware County’s proposed 2027 budget. This story focuses on public safety agencies and their funding requests.
DELAWARE — Delaware County’s public safety agencies are seeking funding for additional personnel, expanded ambulance coverage and emergency communications upgrades as county officials work to finalize the 2027 budget.
That includes requests from three key safety agencies: The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Delaware County Emergency Medical Services and Delaware County 9-1-1 Department.
The county’s preliminary budget projects $166.5 million in revenue and $167.6 million in expenditures, leaving a gap of approximately $1.1 million.
County officials are still working to balance the budget before commissioners approve it later this month.
Delaware County Sheriff’s Office requests
Before discussing his budget requests, Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer announced that the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office will receive the National Sheriffs’ Association’s Triple Crown Award, which he said has been awarded only 71 times nationwide.
The award recognizes sheriff’s offices that simultaneously hold accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, American Correctional Association and National Commission on Correctional Health Care.
“It just shows that we’re doing the best we can for our community,” Balzer said. “I’m very proud of our staff for being able to do this…I think it’ll truly show that we are a national leader.”
Balzer also said a recent community survey found that 97% of respondents believe Delaware County is safe.
He requested funding for several major capital projects and program improvements, including:
- County jail renovations: The jail, built in 1988, would undergo a three-phase renovation to improve outdoor recreation access, create a dedicated space for mental health services and update the kitchen’s mechanical and safety systems. Balzer said the office could contribute up to $500,000 from inmate commissary profits.
- South substation: A new Sheriff’s Office substation in Orange Township would also house EMS Medic 3 and a backup dispatch center. The project is intended to improve emergency response in the southern part of the county and is expected to go out to bid and begin construction in 2027.
- Camera system replacement: The Sheriff’s Office plans to transition to Axon technology, replacing its current body-worn and in-car camera systems. Balzer said the new system offers additional features, including language translation, and could reduce the need for other systems.
Balzer also requested additional positions for the department, which currently has approximately 260 employees.
He asked for the addition of a fourth chief deputy, a corrections lieutenant, training sergeant, deputy sheriffs, a school resource officer and a human resources coordinator.
He prioritized another chief deputy to help him oversee the workforce, three deputy sheriffs to help manage increased calls for service, and a school resource officer who would join the other 10 in the Olentangy School District to cover all the elementary schools.
Commissioner Gary Merrell noted that Olentangy reimburses the county for 50% of a school resource officer’s salary, but that arrangement does not cover equipment or vehicle costs. He asked Balzer to explore whether the district could increase its contribution.
Merrell also requested that the budget reflect when new employees would begin working, since Balzer said the positions would not all be filled at the start of the year.
Looking further ahead, Balzer said the Sheriff’s Office will eventually need a new firearms range. The current facility has experienced flooding, generated noise complaints and been the site of several minor shrapnel-related injuries.
However, a replacement range is not included in the proposed 2027 budget.
Delaware County Emergency Medical Services
Delaware County EMS Director Jeff Fishel requested more than $17.8 million in funding for 2027, which represents an increase of $549,106 from the 2026 budget.
He also noted that the department expects to receive $249,000 in opioid settlement funding.
In 2026, EMS began using four new replacement ambulances, added monitors and medical CPR devices, opened Station 11 and implemented Automatic Vehicle Location, a GPS-based tracking and dispatch technology that continuously monitors the real-time location, speed, and status of ambulances and rescue units.
Insurance-only billing revenue is also projected to exceed the budget for 2026, bringing in almost $260,000 more than anticipated.
Fishel’s priorities for 2027 include:
- Staffing Medic 12 at the Tri-Township Station in Brown Township, at a cost of more than $1 million in salaries and benefits.
- Staffing a community resource unit to address behavioral health and other community needs, at an estimated cost of $249,000 in salaries and benefits.
- Replacing two ambulances and one ATV.
- Hosting the EMS winter conference.
Expanding ambulance coverage in Brown Township is a particular priority.
There is no ambulance currently stationed in Brown Township, despite a 45% increase in unit responses in 2026 compared to 2025. Every ambulance, except Medic 5, had a longer response time to calls in Brown Township.
“Not only is Brown Township not getting our in-county response times, they’re not getting the national average as well,” Fishel said.
Delaware County 9-1-1 Department
Emergency Communications Director Lauren Yankanin requested approximately $5.97 million from the county’s 9-1-1 levy fund for 2027.
Most of that funding would cover salaries and benefits, with the remainder supporting services, supplies and capital improvements.
The 9-1-1 department receives funding from a property tax levy and a $0.60 wireless fee that is reflected on a person’s communication device data bill.
Yankanin said the wireless fee has generated more than $1.2 million so far in 2026, while the levy generates more than $6.2 million.
She also reviewed several improvements completed in 2026, including upgrades to the Motorola virtual prime radio system, Motorola radio consoles and Vesta phone system, along with implementation of Automatic Vehicle Location technology.
For 2027, Yankanin said the department must complete another radio system upgrade to maintain compatibility with its recording system.
“This is a standard upgrade that we undergo every two years in order to have our recording system continue to be functioning with the radio system and record all of that data,” she said.
The department also plans to conduct inspections of its radio towers, estimated to cost $25,000, and renovate portions of its building to improve workspaces and create additional meeting and training areas.
Two planned capital projects include:
- $20,000 to replace three dehydrators at the department’s radio tower sites.
- $280,000 to establish redundant communications connections using both fiber-optic and microwave technology, providing an alternative if one connection fails.
Other planned improvements include several software platform migrations, a translation and transcription system estimated at $210,000, and new quality assurance software.
