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Sauk County
May 5, 2005
Tomah Journal
Editorial: Building another county's jail could make sense
Monroe County Supervisor Bob Keller is concerned that Monroe County taxpayers
are helping to build other counties' jails.
"We are building Vernon County a new jail," Keller said.
Is that such a bad thing?
Recent figures show that Monroe County is transporting 30 inmates to
surrounding counties at $45-50 day. If those trends continue, the Monroe
County Police Department could be paying as much as $540,000 per year to other
counties. That sounds like a lot, until it's compared to the cost of new
construction.
Let's assume a new justice center costs $20 million. Borrowing $20 million at
5 percent would cost taxpayers $1.58 million in annual debt service, assuming
a 20-year loan. Even more favorable assumptions, such as borrowing $15 million
at 4 percent, still comes out to $1.1 million.
Debt service is just the start of the expense. Just like any entity that
chooses to own instead of rent or lease, the owner bears the responsibility of
upkeep, insurance and liability. Owning a building isn't an inexpensive
proposition.
It's true that the $540,000 doesn't take into account transportation and
personnel costs. And Keller isn't necessarily endorsing a new jail. He wants
the county to consider a much cheaper Huber facility that could be constructed
"dorm-style" without the need for expensive security features. He even
suggested a "tent city" for Huber inmates -- something that has been
implemented in Arizona but probably isn't an option here in the Snow Belt.
Keller is doing his job as a county board member by reviewing numbers and
seeking alternatives. If the prison population continues to grow, it may one
day be cost-effective to construct new jail or Huber space. But if other
counties are gung-ho about building excess jail capacity, there's nothing
wrong with Monroe County taxpayers letting the neighbors bear the cost of
expensive incarceration space.