New County Tax

[Mike B.]

Just out of curiosity, how does everyone feel about Ford County creating a new 1/4% sales tax to fund a new jail?

Maybe someone with more ability than I can set up a poll, so we can all vote on it?

[Made in the USA]

I think we are "taxed to death"!! Instead of wasting all that WND money on crap that just ends up costing us more money, I think they ought to use it for the jail. Either that or just shoot 'em instead of putting them in jail. Would save us alot!! LOL However, if they are going to do it anyway, I would rather have a sales tax than a property tax! I think they ought to tax the packers to pay for it. Most of their employees are holed up there anyway!

[booger]

It would may more sense to impose a special useage tax on National and Excel, or perhaps a limited withholding tax on segments of their employee base. This tax would pay for the new jail, cover lose of medical expenses of our medical community, and defer any social security or welfare give aways. We all know, that this workforce has directly impacted every resource of our City.

[Detector]

I agree. Let the businesses that are probably responsible for 80% of the crimes in dodge pay for it.

[TexKan]

Ya'll do need a new jail! - that's no lie!

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by Detector

I agree. Let the businesses that are probably responsible for 80% of the crimes in dodge pay for it.

That's a great idea Booger and you are right Detector a lot of the reason we need a bigger jail is because of the problems the packing plants bring. We should just invest in some tents and some concentina wire. Where's sheriff Joe when you need him.

[Made in the USA]

Originally Posted by TexKan

Ya'll do need a new jail! - that's no lie!

The one we have is TOO GOOD for most of them! They are CRIMINALS, they deserve NOTHING!! However, Texie, I will agree for the saftey of our officers, a new jail would be a good thing. The one we have now is not designed properly!

[TexKan]

Now MIT you know me well enough to know that first and formost my concern is the safety of the folks in law enforcement - ............. that is the most important thing!

[Made in the USA]

When I become President (yeah---sure) we will not need any jails!!!

[Flying Dutchman]

You can thank our County Commisioners from many years ago for this situation. It was brought up then to have a new jail built because the population of the jail was overcrowded and just going to get bigger. They had the option to go in with the sales tax for our High School and new schools, but decided to pass the buck and wait.......and wait....and wait. So here we are, paying outragous amounts of money to other counties, when we could have built a state-of-the-art jail and charged them to house inmates. (It was projected that the amount charged to Sedgewick and Johnson counties alone would have payed for the jail).

You cannot use the WND taxes for the same reason you can't use them to build a new Courthouse, repair streets, upkeep of St. Mary's, etc... They were passed for one reason and one reason only. Allow the Commissioners to pick and choose what that money goes for (at least more than they do now) and then what?

If you make local business' pay the taxes for the jail, than you would have to let them also run it. You want them in charge?

You want tents? Ok. You also going to raise the County budget even higher to pay for the manpower needed to control it? You going to ok the raises needed to hire people to work in it? Remember, the officers have to be out in the tents too, 24/7.

We have needed a new jail for over 20 years now. We have skated by the skin of our teeth up to this point. A 1/4 cent sales tax seems to me to be an optimal situation.