Tough Cell Kootenai County Needs A New Jail. Will Voters Raise Taxes To Pay For It?

Sat., Feb. 26, 2000

Political reality today is that nearly everyone wants to be tough on crime, but almost nobody wants to raise their taxes to build more jails. Get-tough state laws and a rapidly increasing population means that the Kootenai County Jail is crowded far beyond capacity.

County commissioners have proposed building a new jail, and say that raising the sales tax by a half-cent is the best way to pay for it. Half of the sales tax increase would be used to reduce property taxes.

That plan requires a public vote, and 60 percent of county voters must approve. If the May vote fails, commissioners say, they will have no choice but to raise property taxes, which they can do without taking a vote of the public.

Must a new jail be built? Which taxpayers stand to benefit the most from the combination of a hike in sales tax and a cut in property tax? Who stands to lose the most?

We plan to tackle these and other tough questions in the months before the May election. We’re asking for your help in defining our coverage of this issue. What questions do you have about the proposal? What are your priorities? What are your concerns? For more on this topic and instructions on how to reach us, see Page 2.

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