City of Wenatchee Suing Chelan County Over Jail Agreement

City of Wenatchee is suing Chelan County over an agreement allowing the Wenatchee Police Department to house inmates in the Chelan County Regional Justice Center.

The Wenatchee City Council unanimously agreed to sue the county during their meeting Thursday.

Mayor Mike Poirer issued an open letter stating the reasoning behind the lawsuit. He says the county owns and operates the jail and the city contracts with it to house its inmates. In 2024, the City paid Chelan County $1.6 million to accept and house all the City's inmates.

"However, city officers have been unable to immediately access the Jail or the Jail has refused to take certain City inmates," Mayor Poirer said. "Every denied booking into the jail means that an individual who is already suspected of a crime remains in the community with the potential to victimize other people."

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City Administrator Laura Gloria says this legal action is about protecting the public.
"I think the mayor and city council took the action really prioritize public safety," Gloria said. "Unfortunately this is just the next step we have to take."

The City has been in negotiations with the County to renew the service agreement, and the City requested revisions to the service agreement requiring the county to book an arrested individual. Poirer says the County has rejected to proposals.

The City proposed to increase the annual fee to $1.8 million, and the County rejected the proposal. In response, the City offered an annual fee of $2.2 million, which represents a 37 percent increase. The County rejected the proposal, and served the City with a letter of termination in an attempt to end jail services this August.

"The County's position has left our Wenatchee community with limited options. For example, the City could give in to Chelan County's demands and allow a Jail contract that puts the public's safety at risk and continues to hamper law enforcement activities," Mayor Poirer said. "I cannot in good conscience recommend the City enter into an agreement that risks the safety of our community and our officers. That is why... the City Council voted to take legal action on this matter to require Chelan County to enter into a reasonable contract that guarantees Jail services for our community."

In the Frequently Asked Questions section of the letter, the City acknowledges it can contract with another jail, but transferring inmates to a neighboring county could require a four hour round trip, plus gas costs. It also says the City could open its own jail, but that would take years. It also says the City has not received clear reasoning for limited or declined jail service.

The Jail's capacity is 197 inmates, and historically, the average daily population has not exceeded 140 inmates per day since at least 2018. In 2024, inmates the City sent to the jail accounted for about 35 percent of the county's average daily population of 81 inmates per day.

You can read the full letter here.

Officials with Chelan County did not immediately respond to request for comment.