The requests:
—One-third of one-half cent sales tax to operate the county jail.
—One-third of one-half cent sales tax for the county sheriff’s department.
—A rewording of the Sequoyah County 9-1-1 regulation which will provide more money for salaries, but does not include a sales tax hike for county residents; if approved the proposal would change the way money, collected through a telephone tariff, is apportioned for the system.
The reasons:
—The Sequoyah County Jail is funded only by a one-third of one-half cent sales tax.
—The county jail receives no money from the county budget, which is largely based on property tax.
—It is estimated the county jail needs $850,000 a year to operate.
—The jail is receiving between $30,000 and $35,000 a month from the one-third of a cent tax, for a total of between $360,000 and $420,000 a year.
—The jail adds to its income by housing prisoners for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC), at a rate of $31.50 per inmate per day.
—ODOC was averaging 38 prisoners per day in the county jail, but that number has dropped to 21 and ODOC informed jail officials Tuesday they plan to remove between seven and nine prisoners back to state facilities this week and next week.
—At 38 ODOC prisoners, the county jail was taking in $37,050 per month; the ODOC number dropped to 21 and ODOC income dropped to $20,475 this month, with more reductions planned.
—The county jail is not equipped to house federal prisoners.
—A one-third of one-half cent tax would bring in an estimated $30,000 to $35,000 in sales tax per month for the jail.
—If approved the two-thirds of one-half cent tax for the jail would bring in $60,000 to $70,000 per month, or between $720,000 and $840,000 per year, which county commissioners believe would be the minimum amount of money needed to operate the jail.
—If the proposed sales tax is not approved, County Commissioner Bruce Tabor said the jail’s operating expense will have to come from a sinking fund, which would be from ad valorem — or property — taxes.
—Sequoyah County Sheriff Ron Lockhart said he does not have sufficient funds.
—Deputies, on average make about $1,200 a month, less than a county truck driver makes, Lockhart said.
—The sheriff’s office needs to replace vehicles and make other improvements.
—According to county records, the sheriff’s department has a yearly budget of $586,230.57.
