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Sheriff Ray asks county to route inmate-related revenue into dedicated jail fund; committee will forward resolution
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Summary
Sheriff Ray asked the committee to draft a resolution that would place commissary, phone and inmate-board payments into a dedicated jail fund for upkeep or future expansion; the committee voted to forward the proposal to the county commission for further consideration.
Sheriff Ray told the Trousdale County law enforcement committee he wants the county to reserve money received for housing state inmates and place it in a dedicated jail fund rather than letting those receipts flow into the general fund.
"I'd like to do a resolution where we could take that money and put it into a fund where it would stay with the jail to help either pay for the jail or expansion in the future or upkeep of the jail is what it's designed to do," the sheriff said, urging the committee to consider routing commissary, phone and contract inmate board payments to a department-specific account.
The sheriff opened his remarks with a monthly operations report, noting patrol and corrections activity for the month, and then described the financing proposal. He said that in prior years Trousdale County once brought in about $350,000 annually from housing state inmates and estimated that expanded capacity could generate as much as $1,000,000 per year in the longer term; he also stressed that recent receipts have fallen far short of projections this year.
A commissioner cautioned against immediate action during budget season. "Putting a $203,100,000 dollar hole in the budget may not be the best idea this year," the commissioner said, and urged discussing the proposal in the upcoming budget hearings while the terms of the county's CoreCivic contract and any administrative fees remain uncertain.
Committee members debated how the money could be used if set aside, listing upkeep, repairs, principal payments on a future facility and expansion as permissible uses. The sheriff said the county currently routes those revenues to the general fund and that many other counties keep the money for jail maintenance.
A motion to forward the item to the full county commission was moved by Sheriff Ray and seconded by a staff member; the committee called for the question and the item was forwarded to the commission for fuller review and debate.
The committee did not take a detailed roll-call vote on the floor beyond calling for any opposed; staff said the item will likely prompt a larger discussion when it reaches the main body. The sheriff said he will follow up with the mayor and the commission chair before the next meeting.
