The basis of the discussion is one of three proposals for new facilities outlined in a jail study conducted by consultants from Henningson, Durham and Richardson Inc., or HDR. In the report released earlier this year, the consultants recommended a new jail on the grounds of the current county Incarceration Facility north of Troy. The cost of a recommended 200-bed maximum security jail, including 32 new medical beds, was estimated at around $100 million.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
The county currently has the Incarceration Facility, a minimum-security unit that opened in 1999 between Troy and Piqua, along with a maximum-security facility built in downtown Troy at the county Safety Building in the early 1970s.
The proposal calls, for reuse of the Incarceration Facility’s beds, its lobby, laundry and food service areas, among others. Duchak said a new facility should include sheriff’s office administration space plus offices for the county Emergency Management Agency and the backup county 911 center.
Commissioners said options to pay for a jail solution include a sales tax increase, which would have to be approved by voters. The amount of the proposed sales tax now would be 0.5%. Food and groceries would not be taxed, and visitors/shoppers from outside the county would help share the cost.
The $100 million, the commission said, might be more than voters would support.
“If we move forward, education is critical,” Duchak said.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
The commissioners had discussed hiring the consultants to help conduct a public education program but, after consulting with lawyers, turned to the inhouse effort.
“We decided against contracting with the consultant for PR services,” said Michael Clarey, commissioners chief administrative officer. “We vetted it with our prosecutor’s office, and there are very strict rules around a government entity contracting with a consultant for the advancement of a potential levy item. While this wasn’t directly our intent, we as always don’t want to walk the line between what is allowed and not.”
As a result, the decision was made to put together something simple, transparent and strictly information to help the public understand the need for a new jail, Westfall said.
So far presentations have been made before the West Milton council, tours of the downtown jail offered organizations and the public and presentations offered to service organizations.
“The presentations are going very well and being well received,” Duchak said. “The jail tours have the most impact with many telling me I need to get as many people through the jail as possible to see the conditions. We have fine-tuned a power point presentation, which we are using, and I will be adding a two to three minute video tour of the jail conditions soon.”
The jail project, officials said, would:
- Keep Miami County safe and secure
- Protect taxpayer investment with a long-term solution
- Costs the average family pennies per day
- Addresses the mental health crisis inside the jail system
- Provides room for county growth without raising property taxes
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
About the Author