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Senate committee advances Shelby County jail sales-tax plan after commissioners, sheriff testify
Summary
The State and Local Government Committee heard Shelby County officials and a sheriff's office representative urge a temporary local sales-tax increase to fund a new jail and moved the measure to finance after a recorded committee vote.
Shelby County officials told the State and Local Government Committee that a temporary local sales-tax increase is the most feasible way to fund construction of a replacement jail, describing current conditions at the county’s detention facility as dangerous for inmates and staff.
Why it matters: Witnesses said the county’s existing jail is over-capacity, in frequent disrepair and generating ongoing legal exposure for the county. County leaders urged a referendum authorizing a temporary sales tax to raise construction funds while avoiding a large permanent property-tax increase for residents.
Shelby County Commissioner Amber Mills and Alicia Lindsey, chief administrative officer for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, described chronic physical and staffing problems at 201 Poplar and outlined why a temporary sales tax was preferable to…
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