To the Editor:
The New York State Commission on Corrections has closed our jail effective May 16, 2006.
We are allowed to stay open with a variance and a commitment to build a new facility.
Due to state regulations we have been able to house about 30–32 inmates in our jail.
That has left Herkimer County boarding out to other counties an average of 25 inmates with a high of up to 50 inmates. This has cost taxpayers approximately $2.9 million dollars over the last three years with nothing to show for these expenditures.
The Commission has made it clear that boarding out is not a permanent solution.
The County Legislature implemented an ankle bracelet program and other alternatives several years ago.
These programs have helped to reduce our overcrowding by about 100 people per year.
The design of our current facility is inefficient, and it costs us over $700,000 dollars per year to watch ten inmates, while in an efficient new facility it would cost half as much to watch UP TO 32 inmates.
The footprint of the current facility is not condusive to expansion. As we all know the bricks and mortar costs are important, but the cost of operations will go on forever.
An efficient new design will require more space than is available at our present location. After two separate studies on population projections the Legislature has looked to build a jail of 130 cells.
With a back-drop of rising Medicaid costs, increased costs to County taxpayers for welfare programs, increased pre-K education costs, etc.—all costs the County taxpayers are responsible for—we will be able to pay for the bond for this jail with the current 0.25% sale tax.
This will result in Herkimer County saving hundreds of thousands of dollars per year for the property taxpayer. Everyone is concerned with the cost of government to the people of Herkimer County. The easy answer is to do nothing.
However, this Legislature will do the right thing and build this jail at this time because of the above reasons, and also because we will be able to take advantage of the low interest rates available to us and the low cost of materials at this time.
Our County has no general fund, indebtedness, and a healthy fund balance.
This has earned Herkimer County a well deserved A-Plus bond rating from the rating agencies which will greatly reduce our bond costs.
To position Herkimer County for the future, it is necessary for us to move forward for this with this jail.
Jim Wallace, Administrator Herkimer County
