REGIONAL JAIL BILL DOUBLES - Thrusts Calhoun Into $$$ Distress

(01/11/2005)

"The regional jail bill is creating a serious financial problem for the county, once more," according to Calhoun Commission President Larry McCallister. "It has more than doubled" "The discussion is not over the fact that offenders need to be incarcerated, it is over how we can pay for it," he said. He indicated that home confinement and other alternative options have been followed by the county. McCallister said at the current rate of increase, the jail bill could be twenty to twenty-five percent of the entire county budget. The commission, mostly using money from "one time resources" managed to pay-off the jail bill and kept it paid down for the last two years. The bill has recently gone as high as $20,000 a month. In 2003 jail costs were $65,070. In 2004 it jumped $80,000 to $145,622. McCallister said the county's income is stagnant, while all expenses continue to rise. The county pays $48.50 a day for all inmates, whether they are arrested by the Sheriff's Department, State Police or Grantsville Police Department. The paying of regional jail costs are causing severe money problems for many West Virginia counties. In rural, low populated counties where the tax base remains stagnant, the problem is pushing counties toward insolvency. There is yet to be evidence to prove consolidation reduces costs, although Charleston continues to push rural counties toward merging with larger ones. The commission continued yesterday's meeting to have a budget review next Wednesday in an effort to deal with the problem.

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