The Board of County Commissioners voted Sept. 1 to put a jail bond on the ballot Nov. 3. The bond, for $46 million, will cost taxpayers $32.94 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, before the Homeowner’s Exemption.
According to Sheriff Chris Smith, the new, 652-bed jail would be operated with the staff he currently has staffing the Annex Jail, which was built in 1948. The Dale Haile Jail would continue operation, acting as a women’s detention center and a holding facility for men awaiting court appearances. Food service and medical services would be relocated to the new jail.
Federal Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds are available to help buy down 45 percent of the interest payments on shovel-ready projects for which bonds pass in the next few months.
“If we don’t act now, we’ll lose that assistance,” Commission Chair David Ferdinand said. “The Economic Development Bonds will save Canyon County taxpayers more than $5 million over the life of the bond. We lowered our county budget $10 million, didn’t take the allowed 3 percent increase, and lowered property taxes received by the county more than $1 million. We want taxpayers to know that we’re doing everything we can to make this jail bond affordable. Canyon County needs a new jail, and this is a great package.”
The new jail would also have space for counseling, drug abuse counseling, anger management and sex offender classes, and once the majority of inmates are moved from the Dale Haile Jail, space would be freed up in that jail to provide classes to the female inmates.
The site for the new jail is 26 acres, located northwest of Caldwell just off Interstate 84 at the Notus exit. Construction is expected to take two years, and if the bond passes, preference will be given to local contractors during construction.
“I am in support of the bond and moving forward,” Commissioner Kathy Alder said. “The average Canyon County homeowner will pay only $21.41 a year. As hard as times are, it can be done. If you have a million dollars of assets, this is only 90 cents a day. It’s a can of pop, a bottle of water. It’s time to look forward.”
Alder also stressed that if people have questions about the bond, they should ask the commissioners or the sheriff to get accurate information.
Commissioner Steve Rule has been a vocal advocate of the bond election was not able to attend the meeting, but said, “There will never be a better time than now. With construction costs lower than they’ve been in years, and federal assistance with the bonding capacity, we can’t afford not to pass this bond.”