Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Correctional Facility Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DeSoto Parish discusses $26 million correctional facility financing; jury approves funding plan amid concerns over tipping fees and borrowing
Summary
Parish staff presented a funding plan for a proposed $26 million correctional facility using sinking-fund transfers, an $11 million bond capacity and landfill tipping fees for repayment. Commissioners raised concerns about 'double taxation', road funding impacts and jail conditions before approving the budgets with one abstention.
Parish finance staff outlined a multi-source financing plan for a proposed correctional facility, saying the project’s estimated cost is $26,000,000 and funding sources would include a $5,000,005 sinking-fund transfer plus $11,000,000 of bond capacity arranged through the bond commission. "And then 26,000,000, it is the estimated cost of the correctional facility or detention center," Miss Lilly said.
Miss Lilly described how bond drawdowns would work and said the parish intends to use sinking-fund money and tipping fees from the landfill to repay borrowing: "Our plan is really to pay everything we can with our own funds before we start drawing that money down," she said. The sheriff will hold the bond at an agreed 2% interest rate, participants said.
Multiple commissioners expressed concern that borrowing to build the facility could amount to "double taxing" taxpayers because the parish would collect taxes and still pay interest on borrowed money. One commissioner said, "That's like double taxing the taxpayers to me," while supporters replied the parish will limit borrowing to what is needed and expects tipping fees to cover much of the debt service.
Discussion also covered contingency risks: commissioners asked what would happen if major tipping-fee accounts such as Live Oak or Pratt stopped delivering revenue. Staff said that even without Live Oak the parish would still have sufficient tipping-fee revenues to cover debt service, although some landfill operating expenses might need to be cut.
Several participants described deteriorating conditions at the current jail and urged moving forward with the new facility. A commissioner urged periodic tours of the existing jail to ensure maintenance and safety standards.
After extended discussion, the jury approved the correctional facility and sinking-fund budgets; the transcript records the motion passing with one abstention. The financing plan will now proceed to whatever administrative bond and transfer steps are required.
