For and against arguments for the county jail tax

This November, Whatcom County voters will determine the fate of proposition 2017-6, which would authorize a sales and use tax of 0.2 percent for the construction, maintenance and operation of a new jail near Slater Road in Ferndale.

When the current jail was built in 1983, its designed capacity was 148 inmates, but remodels over the last three decades have upped the count to 280. According to Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo, the jail was housing upwards of 350 inmates in 2015. The need to replace the Whatcom County Jail was deemed “critical” due to overcrowding and unsafe conditions by a county task force in 2013.

Proposition 2017-6 is not the first measure to address the construction of a new county jail. In November 2015, 51.4 percent of Whatcom County voters voted against increasing the sales tax by 0.2 percent to pay for the construction of a new 521-bed jail. Whatcom County Council voted 4–3 to bring a scaled-back version of the original proposal back to voters in May. The ordinance passed by the county council called for approximately 440 beds, including medical and behavioral health facility beds.

Aside from the construction of a new county jail, proposition 2017-6 would help fund incarceration prevention, medical and behavioral health facilities and programs. If approved, 0.1 percent of the tax will expire on December 31, 2048 or earlier once the total capital cost of the jail is repaid.

The Northern Light asked proponents and opponents to state their position for voters.

For: Bellingham City Council member Gene Knutson

Q: Some people say that we are putting the cart before the horse by asking voters to vote on a jail tax before we know both how big the jail should be and what the county’s approach to mental health and drug addiction issues should be. Do you agree or disagree? If you are a proponent, please tell us why voters should approve this measure.

A: Our county jail is a disaster that needs to be replaced. Building a new jail has been kicked down the road to the place we are in now. The jail proposal on the ballot needs to pass or we will see a major problem for many years. All the cities and the county agreed with this plan. It is good for Bellingham, all the cities and the county.

If it does not pass we will see millions and millions of dollars go to renovating the old jail. We will see people being sent to jails in Yakima or Skagit County. Some people think Ferndale is far away but Yakima and Skagit are much farther away. We were close last time but with all the cities and county on board we can make it this time.

The plan is better and we need it now more than ever.

Against: Dan McShane

Q: Some people say that we are putting the cart before the horse by asking voters to vote on a jail tax before we know both how big the jail should be and what the county’s approach to mental health and drug addiction issues should be. Do you agree or disagree? If you are an opponent, please tell us why voters shouldn’t approve this measure.

A: We agree. Voters should say ‘no’ to this tax just as we said ‘no’ in 2015. This new tax uses 100 percent of our public safety tax capacity for 30 years for a new jail. The new Skagit jail cost $48 million, or $120,000 per bed. This jail will cost $250,000 per bed – one of the most expensive jails ever built in the U.S.

Recently a county report wrote “any attempt to ease overcrowding by building a new facility will not address the underlying causes of population growth, and the new facility will quickly become overcrowded.”

Sixty-two percent of people in jail are there for low-level offenses; 59 percent of people in jail haven’t been convicted and many sit in jail because they can’t make bail. We can reduce the number of people in jail and improve community safety if we invest in effective incarceration reduction programs such as mental health, drug and reentry programs.

Make no mistake: this is an expensive jail tax. Whatcom County wants $6.7 million a year for 30 years for a total of $202 million for this jail – for a jail just 11 percent larger than the existing jail. An engineering report to the county stated the existing jail “is structurally sound and in fair to good condition.” It can be upgraded and maintained for a total cost of $34 million.

This tax will not adequately fund treatment programs. Let’s figure out how to fund treatment and diversion so that our jail is not filled with the mentally ill or low-risk inmates who can’t afford bail; the proposed 36 mental health beds in a jail is not an effective mental health program.

Whatcom Democrats and others urge you to say no to this latest jail tax. This new tax is for a large, expensive jail. Vote no on this massive tax.