No, this sales tax is not a jail tax. It is a tax to help Champaign County after too many decades do what ought to have been done then—maintain the 22 buildings that the county owns. Finally this county board has the fore thought to affirm a facility-maintenance Action Plan. No other board has done so.
The advantage of a sales tax increase is that the cost per average family is $20/year for a total of $240 over the 12 year cycle. This tax is not applied to food, medicines, and licensed vehicle purchases. A second advantage is that the flow of monies will happen monthly and allow the planned maintenance schedule “to pay as you go,” eliminating most of any need to borrow money, and thus minimize interest costs. When the quarter cent sales tax increase is approved by the voters, 50 million dollars will be generated over the 12 years.
During past decades, these buildings have aggregated a maintenance need close to 4.5M annually for 10 years, according to the studies done for the county. These delays have increased the cost over time, as happens when you do not do maintenance on your own abode. This is not benign neglect, but caused by years of tight budgets, recession, unfunded mandates from the state, tax increment finance districts, enterprise zones, two hospitals and university off the tax rolls, and tax caps. Collectively and conservatively these cost the county 2.4 million dollars annually.
Part of the Action Plan is an analysis of the building stock to assess the continuing need for 840,000 square feet of space. The future planning question is can the square footage be reduced and is there a better location for county offices?
Some comment that the foundational county action plan happened without public input and has morphed over time. The plan and referendum are the result of four plus years of discussion, listening to community input, consultant reports, task force reports, and brainstorming discussions among County Board members. As to subsequent drafts, this is an excellent sign that County Board members continue to listen to comments/suggestions and the action plan is a “living document.”
Just recently, there was a “Cake and Conversation” educational gathering at Douglass Center for the very purpose of listening to more comments. This occurred on 18 October. During the past four years, the County Board has added an extra meeting within the annual budget process. The purpose is for the public to have a chance to share comments/suggestions/criticisms about the forthcoming budget. This year, the extra day occurred on 29 September. Not one single citizen took advantage of this meeting. Last year two citizens came. Only the county extends a time for the citizens to have in depth input.
Take a look at all of studies used to compose the action plan by going to this web site.
Here is a spending breakdown over the course of time. These projected costs are less than quoted in any of the reports.
- Deferred maintenance—42%–$22.4 M
- Corrections consolidation—$24%–$12.8 M
- Nursing home long term maintenance—9%–$5 M
- Community behavioral health—9%–$5 M
- Sheriff office relocation ILEAS—6%–$3 M
- Other, IT update—10%–$5 M
Ongoing, the county continues to work toward the ADA compliance imposed on them unexpectedly two years ago by the Department of Justice. This adds to the many state-level unfunded mandates that are already taxing the county budget. Part of the ADA compliance is on hiatus pending the outcome of the quarter-cent referendum.
This hiatus is intertwined with the referendum because passage provides sufficient funds to close the downtown jail and aggregate those spaces within the satellite jail. Actually, the aggregation will be for fewer beds; much improved medical and behavioral health facilities and care; “touch” visitation; decompression room; better inmate separation; open booking area; and space for educational programs. To underline, these renovations are a response to what the public has brought to the attention of county board members over a number of years.
If there is not enough money to close that jail and do renovations, then the county will have to find funds to implement the ADA compliance and attend to the maintenance issues, such as a new roof, stabilization of the exterior brick, and may be forced to close the downtown jail by the DOJ. This translates to outsourcing inmates, an annual cost to the county of $1 M. Potential outsourcing also means family separations, which is very undesirable.
The county IT system, the backbone of the technology for everything—courthouse, jails, JD Center, and the EMA, is 40 years old with nary an upgrade during that time period. The software code is too antiquated to be maintained into the future. Failure of this system brings down the county’s operations. Not to upgrade is totally irresponsible. This is a $5 M project.
The Champaign County Nursing Home represents 150 years of care for county citizens. But as my letter to the governor indicated the delayed Medicaid payments have created a precarious situation for the home and a conundrum for the county. There is an ethical and moral responsibility to move the home to a sustainable financial situation because the citizens affirmed two referenda to build the new home and subsidize it. Passage of the quarter-cent increase will allow the county to absorb some of the financial stresses and bridge cash flow along with supporting the projected $5 M in long-term maintenance costs.
If the referendum passes, the county can implement the twelve-year maintenance plan, already designed; relieve pressures on the nursing home; begin immediately to map out the IT upgrade,; “drill down” as to the specifics of the jail aggregation and relocation of the sheriff and staff; keep the present staffing levels; begin the process of establishing steady, reoccurring funding sources for a community crisis center along with developing a behavioral health coordinating council.
If the referendum fails, maintenance will once again be put off only to cost more eventually, potential staff reductions—staffing numbers were never regained after the 2007-8 tight budget times, redirect any maintenance funds to finish the DOJ/ADA compliances, slow down progress toward a community crisis center, and be forced to upgrade or close the downtown jail. Remember, it was just this type of circumstance that resulted in the present downtown jail. And how has that worked for the county?
The choice is simple. For $20/year/average family x 12 years, all of this can happen. Total of $240 for 12 years of minimal investment.