The commissioners hope to have the election Aug. 14, but have not submitted a resolution asking for that date to the Sequoyah County Election Board as of Wednesday.
District 1 Commissioner Bruce Tabor said, "We need the tax to help maintain the jail and the sheriff's office is going to have to ask to keep the sales tax too."
Tabor announced the proposed sales tax election during the meeting of the Sequoyah County Criminal Justice Authority, which oversees jail operations.
The sales tax vote for the jail and sheriff's office will share the election with a half-cent tax which helps pay for maintaining the county roads. County voters have approved that tax twice - in 1998 and in 2002. Voters reconsider the road tax every five years.
But Aug. 14 will be the first time voters will be asked to continue the jail and sheriff's tax. The tax was originally approved to build the new jail and help support the sheriff's office on Jan. 11, 2000. The tax was set to run for seven years to pay for the construction of the new jail.
The jail opened in October, 2003, and the final payment on one of two loans for the jail will be made this month.
The half-cent sales tax was split into thirds, with one-third going to the sheriff's office and two-thirds used to pay off bonds for the jail.
Tabor said Monday, "Two thirds of a half cent is not enough to maintain this jail."
In order to keep jail operation expenses under control, the county is housing state prisoners for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) at a cost of about $31 a day.
Last week, State Sen. Kenneth Corn (D-Poteau) said DOC is also out of funds and out of room in state prisons, and will not be taking in any new prisoners from the counties. Christine Calbert, Sequoyah County Jail administrator, said the county has "several prisoners" waiting to be sent to state prisons, but will not now be able to do so.
She added, "We have to have those DOC prisoners to help support the jail."
Tabor said that the commissioners had hoped to keep the half-cent sales tax for jail operations so the jail would have more room for county prisoners. That may not be occurring now.
Calbert reported he 114-bed county jail had 101 prisoners in custody as of Monday.
Sheriff Johnny Philpot added that the sheriff's office will also need more money. He explained that new courthouse security measures required by the federal government will be cutting into his budget.
District 2 Commissioner Steve Carter added, "It will be a big detriment to the county budget" if the sales tax for the jail and sheriff's office ceases.
Tabor added that the state requires the county have at least 25 jail employees, which includes the jailers, to keep the jail open. Salaries are the biggest part of jail expenses, he has said in the past.
"That tax isn't enough to maintain this jail," he said.
