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Coosa Valley outlines $23 million juvenile detention plan and floats regional tag fee to fund local buy-in
Summary
Coosa Valley Youth Services executive director briefed the commission on a feasibility study estimating roughly $23 million to replace the region’s juvenile detention facility; he proposed a regional vehicle-tag fee as a way to show local buy-in and leverage state legislative help.
The executive director of Coosa Valley Youth Services told the St. Clair County Commission that a feasibility study shows roughly $23 million would be required to build a new juvenile detention facility to replace the existing 1974 facility. He said Coosa Valley is a coalition of six counties that currently cover operating costs through a prorated assessment; the organization’s operating budget is about $4.5 million, with member counties contributing roughly $1.4 million of that total.
At a meeting with legislative leaders, the director said he was told local buy-in would help secure state support for construction funds. To demonstrate local buy-in across the county coalition, he proposed a modest per-year vehicle tag fee (he cited a conceptual $2 on a roughly $28 tag as an example) collected across the member counties. The director said the fee could be sunset once construction was finished or could be repurposed to support county juvenile programs.
Commissioners discussed the idea but expressed reluctance to adopt a new tag fee. One commissioner said the county already uses local fees for specific purposes and that a fee might be repurposed so the county need not impose a new tax. Commissioners asked for more detail on funding streams, the coalition assessment methodology and how DYS and other state funding currently support Coosa Valley operations.
Coosa Valley’s director described the proposed facility as modular, with “pods” that could be expanded if necessary, and said the new design would include capacity for short-term (72-hour) detention the county has lacked. Commissioners and the director discussed the practical benefits of short-term detention and diversion programs. No formal county action was taken; the director asked the commission to consider the concept and to be prepared to show local support before the next legislative session.
Ending: The director said he would collect formal expressions of interest from member counties and return with more detailed cost and revenue scenarios; commissioners asked staff to study existing local fees and options for demonstrating county contribution without immediately imposing a new tag fee.
