Pike County Commission Proposes Increased Sales Tax to Fund New Jail
From roofing leaks to interior corrosion, county officials all agree it’s time for a change.
“It’s at the point and time where it’s time to act and quit talking about it,” says Robin Sullivan, Chairman of the Pike County Commission.
That’s why officials have proposed a 1.5 cent sales tax to fund a new jail.
“We didn’t want to put the county into bankruptcy to do this so the only way to do it was to finding a funding source,” says Sullivan.
This sales tax is expected to generate nearly 2.5 million dollars per year and after trying several solutions commissioners tell me it seems to be their only option.”
“There’s no way to pay for something that’s going to cost you approximately ten million dollars to build a jail that’s the size the we think we’re going to need,” says Sullivan.
The jail has recently undergone repairs.
“Before the repairs it was unsafe for the people going in and out of the jail and also for the inmates in the jail,” says Sheriff Russell Thomas of the Pike County Sheriff’s Department.
But that’s just not enough for Sheriff Russell Thomas. A new jail would stop ongoing issues and stop inmates from making weapons from pieces of metal.
“It’s not something that any of us wanted to do-to build a jail. It’s not something we’ve been looking forward to,” says Thomas.
But after weighing their options, officials say it’s the best solution.
If the sales tax is approved, a new jail would take 2 to 3 years to build. Once it’s paid off, the increased sales tax would stop.
