Jail Levy Whittled By A Million

Bonner County commissioners have revamped plans and whacked $1 million off the price of a proposed jail to help gain voter support for the project.

The county has tried three times in four years to get out of its small 87-year-old jail. But voters kept narrowly rejecting the $5 million measure to build a new facility.

Now, a jail committee and commissioners have settled on a $3.95 million levy. It will go to voters during the May 28 primary elections.

“The cost is more conservative, we simplified the jail design and it should still serve our needs,” said Commissioner Steve Klatt. “Most people realize we need a new jail and I am optimistic about it passing this time.”

Another plus is the levy is for two years and needs only a simple majority of votes to pass. Past levies were stretched out over 10 to 20 years and needed a super-majority, or 66 percent of the votes to pass.

“I think this way certainly gives us a better chance,” Klatt said. “Voters were telling us they wanted to pay for it in a short period of time and have it done with, so that is what we are proposing.”

The levy would cost about $95 a year on a home with a taxable value of $100,000.

The new jail would be 25,629 square feet and hold 80 inmates. But Sheriff Chip Roos said the construction budget is so tight it might not allow for the sheriff’s office, a work release center and kitchen to be included in the building.

“It’s a plan that was definitely born of compromise. I am still uncomfortable with some of those compromises, but it’s a viable start that will save us money,” Roos said.

The jail advisory committee is confident the entire facility can be built within the budget, including the sheriff’s office. If not, those items can be added later.

The biggest problem with the existing jail is lack of space for inmates. Six years ago several prisoners successfully sued the county because of its poor jail conditions.

The lawsuit forced the county to reduce the number of inmates it holds from 29 to 15. On average, the county has about 50 inmates a day it must house. The overflow of prisoners now are hauled to other jails with vacant space.

Some are transported as far as Idaho Falls, a 10-hour drive. The county pays the other facilities up to $45 a day to hold its inmates. That costs the county about $500,000 annually.

“We are spending the money every day anyway, we may as well have something to show for it,” Roos said.

“This jail is a necessity. We are wasting taxpayer money transporting prisoners,” added Jacque Schremser, chairman of the jail committee. “We need to build this jail now because it will never get any cheaper. We did a lot of homework on this.”

The county already has purchased 20 acres near the Bonner County fairgrounds for a new jail. And Schremser said the jail committee will not disband if the levy passes. The group plans to monitor construction and the first year of jail operations to make sure taxpayers are getting what was promised.

Commissioners also agreed to put the money saved from not having to transport prisoners into a special account. The account can be tapped to expand the jail instead of going back to the taxpayers.

“This has been a year-long process involving a lot of work by a lot of people, and I think we finally have a plan people can swallow and support,” Klatt said.

, DataTimes