TEXARKANA, Ark. - Both Miller County's Jail and Finance Committees are looking to hire a bonding company to help decide on setting sales tax rate options, to pay for expanding the county's 285-bed lock-up.
Both committees plan to meet jointly at 6 p.m., today, inside the county's current Veteran Service Office at 409 Hazel St.
While a quarter-cent sales tax has been considered, an official sales tax rate has yet to be agreed upon.
"I think that a sales tax is a crippling tax, but it's a necessary tax, and the time frame to talk to the public about this is getting very short," said Finance Committee Chairman Ernest Pender, during a recent Finance Committee meeting.
Early last month, Jail Committee members recommended that the Quorum Court set a sales tax election date in December, although Miller County Elections Administrator Linda Crawford said the county does have the option of holding the election in February of 2020 as back-up plan, if need be.
Also last month, Jail Committee members agreed on the need to expand the county's 285-bed lockup in two phases. Phase One being funded completely by federal money, while Phase Two will likely need voters' help.
As for the first phase, county officials plan to use possibly $3.1 to $3.5 million of the $4.2 million the county received earlier this year, in COVID-19 American Rescue Fund Act money. This revenue could finance expanding the jail's inmate detention space by at least 6,500 square feet.
As for Phase Two, this would allow for an additional 13,000 square feet to be added to the first phase, giving the jail a collective total space at could accommodate 200 additional beds.
However, County officials are looking at the Phase Two expansion to cost about $8 million, hence the need for a sales tax election.
Besides a general need for more inmate jail space, the need for more room is further compounded by lingering social distancing requirements, caused by COIVID-19, and because county detention centers are usually required to separate prisoners by inmate classification, such high risk, moderate risk and low risk, when it comes to escape attempts and violence.
Along with the need to accommodate more inmates, Miller County Chief Deputy Mark Lewis said the jail's ultimate expansion will also increase the need for more correctional officers to deal with the inmate surge.
"Right now, we are at minimum staffing, with one correctional officer for every 60 inmates," Lewis said.
In order to give the public ample time to study and learn the county's plans, Jail Committee members agreed that the full Quorum Court would have to call for setting the sales tax election date no later then during their regular meeting this month, set for Sept. 13.