After reading Sheriff Pat Eliasen’s recent article in the News-Herald, studying Wold Architects and Engineers’ “Final Master Plan” for the jail expansion, and watching the February 26th Board of Commissioners’ meeting (hey – that online thing really works!), I have three thoughts and one conclusion.
First, the Wold report predicts that between 2017 and 2040, the county population will increase by 7 percent and that population will be older than it is currently. It also says that the “Average Daily Population” (ADP) of our jail in 2017 was about 5. ADP is the number of inmates that our county is responsible for, whether in our own jail or farmed out to others.
Based on any reasonable assumptions, our ADP should be little changed between now and 2040. But inexplicably, the Wold report predicts that our ADP in 2040 will be 27 – an increase of 540 percent! Now, unless Wold is expecting a major crime wave, possibly from seniors losing their homes to confiscatory property taxes, this makes absolutely no sense.
Second, Sheriff Eliasen says that the proposed jail expansion will save us money by eliminating the need to transport and house inmates elsewhere, necessitated by our 72-hour maximum hold status. Since it seems both our ADP and transport costs have been decreasing in recent years, I say that the money we spend in this area is a bargain compared to designing, building, staffing, maintaining and financing the proposed “mini-prison.”
Thirdly, apparently we will be retiring a large bond debt in 2020, so it’s said that we can take on the new proposed $5 million debt to build this prison “without an increase in the property tax levy.”
Wait! Did I hear that right?
In 2020 we might finally have the opportunity to deliver some much-needed relief to our beleaguered county taxpayers, and some amongst us want to blow it again! No! I say use this “windfall” to hold the levy increases to zero-percent for years ahead and even consider taking it lower.
Finally, the conclusion I mentioned: I think County Administrator Jeff Cadwell and his subservient minions on the county board have finally reached PEAK …! I hope to see you all at the commissioners’ meeting on Thursday, March 21 at 6 p.m. Kindly refrain from bringing torches and pitchforks (this time).
Daryl Popkes
Gunflint Trail
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