Sheriff gains local support for tax increase

With the current jail in Grant County regularly being at maximum capacity, criminals get to roam free, an issue the sheriff says a new, larger jail could address.

A measure on the Nov. 5 ballot to raise the sales tax in Grant County by 0.3% could build a new jail in Grant County and bring in over $80,000 a year to the Grand Coulee Police Department and boost other municipal police departments around the county.

The city councils of Electric City and Grand Coulee have each come out in favor of Proposition 1.

The estimated $5.5 million-$6 million that would be collected each year would give $3.3 million-$3.6 million to the county, and $2.2 million-$2.4 million to the cities, including an estimated $42,000-$46,000 to Grand Coulee and $41,000-$44,000 to Electric City, both of which use the Grand Coulee Police Department, which would receive those funds.

Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones spoke at the Grand Coulee City Council Meeting Aug. 20, presenting a Powerpoint slideshow.

Jones mentioned that Grant County’s population can triple during the peak of tourist season, and that those tourists would also be paying the sales tax. He noted the Gorge at George, where concerts are held, as a place of much spending in Grant County.

The Grant County Jail, established in 1986, is frequently operating over capacity and on restrictions for inmates, Jones explained via the slideshow, noting that the jail grew from 85 beds in 1986 to 198 today.

“Stack ’em like cord wood,” Councilmember Mike Horne quipped to Jones, who seemed to agree with the metaphor.

“The Jail was on restrictions for 133 of the first 204 days in 2019,” a flier from the sheriff’s office states. “Over 65% of the time the Jail is at maximum capacity and therefore must release misdemeanor offenders for most theft, drug, and gang offenses. A new and larger facility ensures that offenders go to jail rather than be released.”

Jones also said that specialized housing units are a need for a new jail.

“We’re getting a lot more mental health issues inside the jail when they come in,” Jones told the council. “Either from drug detox or not taking their medications on a regular basis. They come in and are going through severe detox or are just not right. So that’s one of the things we’re facing in the housing unit area.”

A new jail, estimated to cost between $40 million and $60 million, would be built in Ephrata on land already owned by the county.

A 0.3% tax increase is equal to 30 cents on a $100 purchase.

Money generated from the increased sales tax could also pay for more staff at the facility, as well as new equipment for police departments.

Grand Coulee Police Chief John Tufts, present at the meeting, expressed agreement with the proposition.

Councilmember Gary Carrierre asked about the capacity of the new jail. Jones said there would be a 300- to 400-bed capacity, and the facility would be designed for expansion as needed.

The proposition will be on the November ballot for Grant County voters.

A week earlier, at the Aug. 13 Electric City Council meeting, resident Kerry Higgins, who co-owns Coulee Hardware in Grand Coulee, came out in support of the proposition, noting his annoyance with shoplifters. People who are tired of crime in the area should be willing to pay a little extra toward the cause to help address the “revolving door” issue of criminals going to jail and coming right back out, he said.

Sgt. Gary Moore of the Grand Coulee Police Department also weighed in at the Electric City meeting, neither endorsing nor opposing the proposition, but expressing a concern.

“We are at max capacity and on booking restrictions,” Moore said. “But my personal opinion, not the uniform talking: looking at the judicial system, I don’t know if a bigger jail is the answer. Prosecutors aren’t prosecuting. Period.”

Moore said that with crimes not going to trial, and longer sentences not being served in state prisons, even with criminals going to county jail, they get out and go back to doing the crimes they were doing before they went in.

Resident Ken Dexter agreed, saying that police do an excellent job catching the criminals, but that it’s the courts that “kick them loose.”

Both Grand Coulee and Electric City unanimously passed resolutions of support for Prop-1 at their respective council meetings.