Why More Money To Run Jail

Simon Leis

Yesterday, a commenter posed a good question about the jail plan put forward by Republican Sheriff Simon Leis and other Republicans including Prosecutor Joseph Deters.

I just want to get the "OPERATIONS" portion of this new tax straight:

We're trimming facilities and consolidating to one facility that will be more streamlined and efficient - less wasteful, and one location as opposed to the multiple locations we have now (Queensgate, Talbert House...).

So when you consolidate, efficiancy is supposed to increase. The Sheriff already has an operating budget for these multiple facilites from the County budget.

Are we to assume that this new tax will replace the current operating budget or increase it? If it replaces the current operating budget, where will the current operating funds shift to?

And they call this tax "honest".

Damn good question!

I previously explained how the Leis Jail Plan results in a net loss of 200 jail beds.  (See, "Unite Cincinnati: Leis Lying About Jail Plan.")  Pat DeWine recently sent an email that read in part:

The jail operating costs have always been paid for out of the County general fund. And that's the way it should be. As Commissioners, we have an obligation to pay for our County operations out of our existing revenue stream - not go to the taxpayers for a massive tax increase.

Tax and spend jail proponents like Todd Portune, David Pepper, and Tim Burke can't disprove DeWine's claim that money to operate the jail has always come from the general fund. Nor can they explain why they are trying to raise our taxes for this.

Considering that the new jail consolidates facilities and decreases overall jail beds, why would it take more money to operate it?