Sac County Attorney Ben Smith announces commitment from Calhoun County Sheriff to house inmates at new proposed Sac County Jail if bond is passed this upcoming election. Smith says this commitment with Calhoun County Sheriff Pat Riley will assist in offsetting the bond costs by bringing in approximately $122,000 annually for Sac County, based on the $65 per inmate a day rate and the historical data averaging Calhoun County holds around 1,875 inmates each year. The $12.5 million general obligation (GO) bond on the new facility for Sac County would have a 20-year payback period, with Calhoun County contributing $2.4 million across that span towards the repayment for housing inmates. After the bond is paid off, Riley says the sheriff’s department would still utilize Sac County Jail for detainees, creating a steady, locally controlled revenue for Sac County. Since the 1980’s Calhoun County has not operated its own jail, which will be what Sac County would have to look into next, as the oldest jail in the State of Iowa no longer meets requirements for modern safety, security and operational standards, which is projected to cost Sac County taxpayers over $13.5 million if inmates would need to be housed in other counties. Smith says Sac County Sheriff Katie Stange and I work closely together, as do I with Calhoun County Sheriff Pat Riley, ensuring smooth coordination on public safety issues across our jurisdictions. This partnership is a true win-win for Sac County, providing a stable revenue stream to lessen the bond’s financial burden, and for Calhoun County, where closer housing in Sac City (instead of their current out-of-county jail) will decrease transportation mileage, fuel expenses, and transfer times—allowing deputies to focus more on proactive policing and community safety. This cooperation offers a rare economic opportunity specific to Sac County, delivering a built-in revenue partnership not available to other new jail projects across the state.” A supermajority, or 60 percent of votes need to approve of the Go bond in order for a new facility to be built. A $11 million bond measure narrowly failed last November with 58.8% approval.
Calhoun County Sheriff Commits To Housing Inmates In Sac County If GO Bond Is Passed To Build New Facility
