A countywide half-percent sales tax increase intended to fund the construction and operation of a new North County jail in Santa Maria will likely be decided by voters this November.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on July 6 unanimously approved moving forward with a revised version of a ballot measure initially proposed by county Sheriff Bill Brown in June.
In addition to lowering crime rates and stemming the tide of early release of prisoners, Brown said the new 304-bed facility would add 30 percent more space to the county jail system.
“Through this measure, we will be able to put people in jail who should be incarcerated in order to protect the community, but who currently are not jailed because of the inadequate capacity that we have,” Brown said. “This measure is a comprehensive, well-thought-out, and blended approach to making our community safer. Raising taxes should be a last resort, and this is a last resort.”
The vote was 4-0, with 1st District Supervisor Salud Carbajal absent. The board is expected to give final approval of the measure on July 13.
If passed by voters during the Nov. 2 general election, the tax hike is estimated to raise $30 million annually. Brown said half of the monies would be earmarked for the jail; the rest would go to fund recidivism reduction programs and to support city and county fire and law enforcement services.
During the Board meeting, Santa Maria Mayor Larry Lavagnino stood alongside city Police Chief Danny Macagni, City Manager Tim Ness, and Fire Chief Jeff Jones in support of Brown’s proposal.
“While this proposal is not perfect, I believe it may be the best chance to build the jail,” Lavagnino said.
Fifth District Supervisor Joe Centeno also voiced his approval of the measure, though he cautioned it wouldn’t do much to support county fire services.
“There’s no question that our county jail in the north needs to get done and we need to man it, maintain it, and come up with the resources to build it,” Centeno said. “It doesn’t end here, it only begins here. Let’s go out and get it done.”
Construction of the jail is expected to take four years to complete. With a $56
million conditional construction grant from the state available in conjunction with the potential revenue raised by the tax, Brown said there’s hardly been a better time to build it.
“We need to strike now,” he said. “This is the best chance that we’ve had in more than 30 years, and it may well be our best chance for the next 30 years as well.”
Brown said not only would the project help offset the impact to public safety caused by the economic downturn, but it would also benefit the local economy through an increase in construction and public safety jobs.
If approved by a two-thirds majority vote, the tax increase would be imposed in July 2011 and stay in effect for 14 years, instead of the 10 years Brown initially proposed. According to Brown, a citizens’ review committee would be formed to ensure the money is used as intended.
This article appears in Jul 8-15, 2010.