Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – June 24, 2024 – The path to a special election to ask Craighead County voters to approve a temporary one-half cent sales tax to finance a $105 million bond issue to build a new Craighead County Jail was started by Craighead County Quorum Court justices Monday night.

An ordinance calling for a November special election was considered by the Quorum Court Public Services Committee tonight, then sent on to the full court who placed the ordinance on “first reading.”

The ordinance authorizes collection of a one-half cent sales tax to raise “up to $105 million.” The actual cost of a new jail isn’t known. Justices decided to forego the cost of architect and other planning work until voters decide whether to approve the plan. The one-half cent tax would end once the bonds are paid off.

Justice Darrel Cook questioned the need for a new jail. He said he felt like flooding problems and other maintenance issues that had been cited could be fixed for a lot less than a $105 million new jail. “This is a concrete block building. If there’s a maintenance issue, someone hasn’t been doing their job the last 35 years.”

Justin Rolland has been Chief Deputy for the last six years but has been in and around the jail working for the last 32 years. Rolland saluted the work of Maintenance Administrator Mike Miller saying “I’ve watched Mike put a band aid on that facility daily. My personal viewpoint being in that facility every single day is the conditions are deteriorating. I don’t believe it’s over the misuse of the facility. I hate to say it hasn’t been taken care of.” Rolland said he hears daily from other jail facilities wanting Miller to advise them on steps they can take to fix problems.

Rolland said the inmate population hovers around 400 every day. He said currently about 15 of those are from out of the county, not including state inmates.

Justices requested Rolland provide them with copies of the inspection reports from the Arkansas Criminal Detention Facilities Review Board for the last two years for their review.

Justice Garrett Barnes noted “I appreciate how the jail sales tax ordinance includes language that allows flexibility, but there is no mention of preventative measures or recidivism. If this plan doesn’t include effective prevention and recidivism services, then we will be facing more overcrowding sooner than later. We have to also look at addressing the root cause. I understand why the county would not hire an architect and cause taxpayers to pay for a preliminary plan only for it to be voted down in November, but the people deserve to know, to the fullest extent possible, what they can expect for $105,000,000.”

Justice Linda Allison requested that County Judge Marvin Day set up a future Quorum Court meeting to be held at the current Craighead County Detention Facility so that justices can tour and see the current operation for themselves. Day said he was working on that, and that it had been 6-7 years since the court met at the jail.

The jail funding ordinance will be placed on second reading at the next Quorum Court meeting July 8 and could be voted on at the July 22 meeting.  The ordinance calls for the “special election” to be part of the General Election ballot on November 5, 2024.

In other business, Justices approved the appointment of Kenny Jowers to a term on the Valley View Fire Protection District Board of Directors. Jowers will replace Tony Bittle whose term expires this month.

Justices also approved an appropriation ordinance authorizing $7,400 in Local Law Enforcement Block Grant funds to be used to purchase tactical SWAT uniforms.

Previously:

On May 29, 2024, JRN reported that Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd was suggesting a tax to fund a new jail saying the current jail, constructed in 35 years ago, was old, outdated, and too small.

In a discussion with JRN’s Brett Barber a few days later, Boyd said, “Throwing some money toward another in a series of expansions is just kicking the can down the road. I’m trying to look at what Craighead County is going to need in the next 30 years. Doing a 100-bed expansion is not going to solve this problem. In the next 5 years, we’ll be having this conversation again.”

JRN also reported on June 20 that the Quorum Court would be hearing the Tax Proposal at tonight’s meeting.