Sequoyah County voters turned down propositions for additional sales taxes for the county jail and sheriff Tuesday, but approved the redistribution of telephone tariffs for the Sequoyah County 9-1-1 service.

The proposal for one-third of a half-cent sales tax for the Sequoyah County Jail was defeated by a vote of 787 for to 1,213 against.

The proposal for one-third of a half-cent sales tax for the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office was defeated by a vote of 780 to 1,186.

The proposal for the redistribution of Sequoyah County 9-1-1 money was approved by a vote of 1,087 to 934.

See complete election results on Page A4.

The results will be designated official on Friday by the Sequoyah County Election Board.

Jail tax fails

District 1 Commissioner Bruce Tabor, who is also a member of the Sequoyah County Criminal Justice Authority which oversees jail operations, said Wednesday morning he did not know how the county was going to keep the jail open.

Earlier studies indicated jail operations cost between $850,000 and $900,000 a year. Sequoyah County voters approved a two-thirds of a half-cent tax to build and operate the jail, and one-third of that tax dropped off when the jail was paid for. That left the authority with the one-third of a half-cent tax for jail operations. The sales tax is bringing in between $30,000 and $35,000 a month, or between $360,000 and $420,000 a year, or about half of what is needed to operate the 114-bed facility.

Jail operations were supplemented by housing minimum-security prisoners for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC), but DOC has been taking prisoners out of county jails over the past year and housing them in private facilities. At $32.50 a day per DOC prisoner, the state was supplementing the county jail by about $37,050 per year when the jail housed 38 DOC prisoners, the most housed there at one time. As of Monday, the jail had six DOC prisoners.

Tabor said Wednesday morning the jail, as of this month, has between $70,000 and $90,000 in funding. The one-third of a half-cent sales tax will add about another $35,000 to the pot, which Tabor said may be able to keep the jail open through July. After that he said he doesn’t know what will happen.

“We’re not going to do anything right now,” Tabor said. “It’s just one of those deals. The people don’t want it, and there’s nothing we can do.”

Tabor noted that residents in his district, the east end of the county, approved the sales tax for the jail, but the proposal failed in County Districts 2 and 3.

“We have no answers,” Tabor said.

Tabor said suggestions that the jail be returned to the control of the sheriff, and thus county funding, wasn’t a proposition he relished.

“The sheriff doesn’t have enough money either,” Tabor said. “It would be like putting two broke counties together. You’re still broke. The sheriff doesn’t have the money to run the jail either.”

Tabor said returning control of the jail to the sheriff, and county funding, would “devastate other county offices.” He explained the jail is funded only by the sales tax, and receives no money from the county. If returned to the sheriff’s control, the resulting need for money would be taken from other county offices, which don’t have enough money either.

Tabor said the commissioners will have to put jail operations on their agenda for their next meeting Monday.

Ironically, the jail authority agenda will also have the county’s contract with DOC to house prisoners. The authority meets on Mondays immediately after the commissioners’ meeting.

“I just found out last night that the DOC has approved its contract to house prisoners with the county,” Tabor said. “The contract will be on the agenda Monday.”

Sheriff comments

Sheriff Ron Lockhart said Wednesday morning he was disappointed the proposed one-third of a half-cent tax for the sheriff’s office was voted down too.

“We will do the best we can,” Lockhart said, “but I have two more vehicles broke down today.”

Lockhart said earlier he needed the additional funds, which would have cost residents about 17 cents for every $100 spent, for new vehicles and to add deputies. He said he hoped to bolster a night shift with new deputies.

Lockhart said he believed he could save the county money by combining services — by operating the jail and the 9-1-1 service.

“We could save one job right away if the sheriff was operating the jail,” Lockhart said. “We could do away with the payroll clerk. It’s the same with 9-1-1.”

That alone would add another deputy, Lockhart said.

“The county would work a little better if 9-1-1 and the jail were linked to the sheriff’s office,” Lockhart said.

Lockhart said he was submitting his estimate of needs to the county commission on Wednesday, and is asking for $847,000 for the 2010-11 fiscal year. Each county office submits an estimate of needs to the county commission, which then sends the estimates and the amount of money available to a budget maker. Lockhart said he is asking for at least two new vehicles.

“I’ve been buying used vehicles” from other state agencies, Lockhart said.

Lockhart said, “I am willing and able to do the work for 9-1-1 and the jail.”

If those services are not taken over by the sheriff, Lockhart said he will continue “to work hard and do what we can with the money we have.”

9-1-1 money

The redistribution of Sequoyah County 9-1-1 funds was easily approved by voters.

The proposal only changed the way money collected through a telephone tariff for the 9-1-1 service, which serves all telephone prefixes in the county except the 427- telephone exchange. Residents in the 427- exchange have their own 9-1-1 service.

By rewording the regulation which set the money distribution, the Sequoyah County 9-1-1 service will now have more money for salaries. The proposal allows more money to be taken from the account set aside for equipment to be used to pay call takers, Charles “Chuck” Wyckoff, Sequoyah County 9-1-1 board member said.