Reader Poll
| Tax renewal to be on Nov. 3 ballot |
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| News - Clay County | |||
| Written by Mark Johnson | |||
| Wednesday, 21 October 2009 23:00 | |||
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Clay County voters are being asked to approve a 12-year extension of the eighth-cent law enforcement sales tax in the upcoming election Tuesday, Nov. 3. Revenue from the extended sales tax would continue to be used to fund capital and operational needs.
Sheriff Bob Boydston said that if the issue fails, the county could be facing the closure of at least two floors of the detention center in addition to the need to find space for inmates at regional facilities. Boydston also expressed concern that limited jail space could lead to more people being back on the streets through parole. “They will be out in the community, and that’s not good,” he said. Boydston also knows that while the bonds for the jail expansion will be paid off next year, there are still capital needs at the detention center, and he doesn’t expect them to be abated anytime soon. “We’re open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” he said. “The building is showing significant signs of use.” A specific, immediate need Boydston cited were four water heaters, which cost $40,000, which are nearing the end of their useful life. He said there is also going to be a need to reconfigure existing space within the detention center, due in part to changes in the inmate population. Former Eastern Commissioner Craig Porter, who is a co-chair of the Citizens for Law Enforcement Committee, further addressed the impact the issue’s failure would have, citing the potential loss of funding for law enforcement programs throughout the county. He also raised the possibility of layoffs with the reduction of revenue and the current economic conditions. “At least a portion of that $3 million is going to have to be made up from somewhere,” Porter said. He added that these moves would have to be made at a time when in all likelihood the county is going to be required by statute to add another courtroom once the results from the 2010 census come in. Urging people to get out and vote, Boydston said the sales tax issue would impact each person who will be counted in the 2010 census. “It affects all of us,” he said. AT A GLANCE - The issue calling for extending the eighth-cent Clay County law enforcement sales tax will be on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot. - A simple majority vote is needed for the issue to be approved. - The issue has a 12-year sunset clause, which would provide voters the opportunity to review the issue if the county asks for it to be renewed again. - Revenue would be used for operational and capital needs in county law enforcement.
Senior writer Mark Johnson can be reached at 781-4941 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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As a result, you may remember seeing my name in an article a few weeks back written by Tribune staff writer, Mark Johnson. It was at the Sheriff’s meeting described in Mark’s column that his tax renewal campaign was launched.
It was also during that meeting that the question was asked regarding the business case (i.e. financials) justifying the maintenance of the jail’s 3-floor operation. I and others were encouraged to proceed under with the understanding that there are good fiscal reasons for continuing the operation and closing a portion of the jail would result in greater expense to the citizenry, and that the numbers would be forthcoming. To date those numbers have not been produced or provided to those asking to see them.
I have, however, become uneasy with the inability of the sheriff’s department to provide those financial details. Yes, we know it costs X dollars to operate the facility at 3-floor capacity and Y dollars to operate it a reduced capacity. What we don't know, and those in charge of allocating and spending such money seem unable to figure out, is the cost of farming out prisoners to other facilities; let’s call that Z. All I’m asking to see is if X is greater or less than Y plus Z. What was requested is not overly complicated nor does it need be overly details. It just needs to identify costs X, Y and Z.
With those numbers in hand, voters the decision to vote for or against the tax renewal becomes exponentially simpler. If X is greater that Y+Z, we vote against the proposition and pay to send the majority of our prisoners elsewhere simply because it’s more cost effective to do so. If X is less than Y+Z, we vote for the renewal because if we don’t, we’ll be spending more money than we’re saving.
Instead of us voting for or against the tax renewal for purely practical or objective reasons, we find ourselves facing a subjective vote. We’ll have to decide if the law enforcement and judiciary of Clay County will change the way they do business as to make an impact on the safety of our communities if we’re forced to close a portion of the jail.
I would hope that these elected officials don’t really mean that dangerous criminals will increase in number on our streets because we reject the unsubstantiated argument that we need the jail capacity to save money. Now is the time to show the numbers and help an informed public make an informed decision.
Bob Snyder, Liberty, MO