Commissioners consider jail funding

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Lincoln County commissioners during a special meeting last week discussed funding for a proposed new jail.

Commissioners and others discussed funding possibilities and most of the discussion centered around a dedicated sales tax rather than an ad valorem tax issue.

Greg Upton, a Chandler attorney knowledgeable with these types of issues and two others from Norman, noted people in general are more likely to support a sales tax for a jail rather than an ad valorem bond issue.

The discussion also turned to including a countywide ambulance issue as part of the same proposition, with a portion of the dedicated sales tax going to fund it.

County Commission Chairman Lee Doolen suggested putting the jail and countywide ambulance issue on the same ballot.

The idea of a half-cent sales tax was floated during the meeting. But Doolen indicated that’s preliminary until a financial advisor can take a much closer look and come up with firmer numbers.

Among questions that surfaced during the meeting were what the required annual payments might be, how long would it would take to pay for the jail and what about calling it a Public Safety sales tax.

Sheriff Charlie Dougherty, who participated in the discussion, said in an interview following the meeting, “The proposed jail is for 151 beds. The current jail is licensed for 80 beds and there have been up to 133 in it.”

He noted currently he’s much closer to 80 beds, due to changes in the law. The sheriff said the 151 would allow him to contract out many beds, saying, “We could make money. We’re trying to do what’s in the best interest of the county,” Dougherty said.

Dougherty pointed out he prefers a sales tax issue over ad valorem tax. “I hate to use ad valorem tax for a jail. I think people who are going to use the jail ought to help pay for it and the people using it aren’t going to own property.”

“If we run the ambulance and jail together, we get the best of two worlds,” Dougherty believes.

He added, “There’s a critical need for both. I think the citizens need to vote and tell us what they want.”

Doolen said the day following the meeting, “The financial advisor will provide us with a lot more information.” Doolen estimates that a half-cent sales tax would probably bring in about $1.3 million to $1.4 million annually.

He sees the jail and countywide ambulance service as priorities.

“This is an opportunity to do two things that we’ve needed to do for a long time,” Doolen thinks.

The commission chairman pointed to state lawmakers commenting, “The Legislature put county ambulance service as the responsibility of the county, but provided no funding source.

“The Department of Corrections has done the same thing with States Questions 780 and 781. We’re fighting two battles the Legislature put in our lap. They both need to be fixed and this is an opportunity to do it,” Doolen stated.

He thinks the financial advisor will have the information needed by the commissioners’ second meeting in March. “If he could get it to us by the first meeting in March, that would be fantastic,” Doolen said.

But he figures now it will probably be June before an election can be held.

Doolen agreed with the sheriff on the number of beds that a new jail would provide. “If we can sell 50 of those beds and consistently do it each year, it would bring in $1.3 million to $1.4 million,” he estimates.

“Add that to the sales tax and we could pay it off in half the time,” he continued.