By Melinda Rogers
The Salt Lake Tribune
DAGGETT COUNTY, Utah — Daggett County residents may see a property tax increase that county officials say is partially needed to compensate for revenue shortcomings caused by a September jailbreak.
Daggett County commissioners are proposing a 13.56 percent property tax increase next year to bolster dwindling revenues. The county’s projected revenue shortfall is spurred in part by removal of inmates from the Daggett County jail, said Stewart Leith, chairman of the Daggett County Commission.
State Corrections Director Tom Patterson ordered the removal of state prisoners from the county jail after two convicted murderers escaped from the jail Sept. 23 after slipping through an unlocked back door and scaling a fence.
The men were apprehended in Wyoming after six days on the lam.
Patterson removed state inmates because of security concerns. Losing state prisoners meant lost revenue for the county, Leith said.
He said the jail has had 15 to 20 fewer prisoners than usual since January. When the state pulled roughly 65 prisoners because of concerns over the jail’s operations, county revenues sank further, Leith said.
“That put us in a bind,” he said.
The state pays the county about $42 per prisoner per day. The jail has lost about $300,000 in revenue since January, Leith said.
But the jail’s lost revenue isn’t the only reason the county is asking residents for more money.
Commissioners also want a property tax hike so the county can avoid scrutiny when applying for state grants and loans. Daggett County currently is questioned when it seeks state aid because it doesn’t tax its residents the maximum allowed under state law, Leith said.
Implementing a property tax hike would alleviate that problem, he said. (See box for a breakdown of the tax hike.)
But some in the community question whether the proposed hike is the result of anything other than mismanagement of the Daggett County jail.
Troy Gale, a resident of Greendale, said it’s unfair that Daggett County taxpayers must foot the bill for mistakes made at the jail.
“I don’t think the county residents should pay for mistakes the state and the county made. I don’t think it’s our fault,” said Gale.
He said county taxpayers are disillusioned with the county’s decision to house state inmates since residents were led to believe that no “hardened criminals” would be incarcerated at the jail and the county would see significant economic gains.
Now, the possibility of paying more in property taxes to subsidize county coffers adds fuel to the fire at a time when residents are disgusted about the jailbreak, he said.
Leith said the jail is on its way to restoring revenues.
The jail regained 20 prisoners after a November visit from the Department of Corrections deemed the facility adequate to house inmates.
He said the county may get 20 additional prisoners this week, if the jail passes a Department of Corrections inspection on Wednesday.
Daggett County is one of 21 county jails that contract with the state Department of Corrections to hold state inmates. The jail also holds some federal inmates.
Jail commander Jerry Jorgenson has said the county jail installed additional fencing, razor wire and cameras after the prisoners’ escape. He said the jail has changed staffing to ensure better security.
Copyright 2007 The Salt Lake Tribune