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Jail costs could prompt budget cuts

Randolph County Commissioners discuss the rising regional jail bill during Thursday’s meeting. From left are Commissioner Mark Scott, Commission President Mike Taylor and Commissioner Chris See.

ELKINS — The Randolph County Commission moved $400,000 into a fund to pay toward the regional jail bill and had a discussion on its growing cost during a meeting Thursday afternoon.

Commissioners decided to take $200,000 from both the courthouse building purchase and courthouse facilities maintenance line items that were earmarked to make improvements.

“The regional jail bill, not only in Randolph County but in most counties throughout the state of West Virginia over the last year, has taken a substantial increase …,” Randolph County Commission President Mike Taylor said. “Last month, Randolph County’s regional jail bill was $169,000 and, as a commission, we had budgeted $1.2 million for this fiscal year to get us through. It will not do that.”

The continual increase in the monthly bill has put a strain on the county and, subsequently, the taxpayers.

“It has, and continues to, put a financial burden on many counties in the state,” Taylor said.

If increases continue, every office in the county will be impacted and be forced to sacrifice to make up the difference.

“If this jail bill continues on its current path, it’s going to have an effect on every elected office here in the county,” Taylor said.

Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Parker said the biggest factor in the increase is a rise in substance abuse-related criminal activity.

“In looking at the rising cost for the jail bill, I don’t think it surprises anybody in this room when I say that, by far, the biggest factor with regard to those rising costs is the substance abuse epidemic,” Parker said.

“I think the substance abuse epidemic is clearly the main, motivating factor behind the regional jail bill,” Parker continued.

Since Jan. 1, all but one of 14 felony convictions in Randolph County have been substance abuse-related.

“As of this year, Jan. 19, 2017, we’ve obtained 14 felony convictions already. Out of those 14 felony convictions, only one of those cases did not involve some form, or relate back in some manner, shape or form, to substance abuse,” Parker said.

Parker, who serves as legislative chairperson for the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorney’s Association, is assisting to pass legislation that would make the state responsible for incarceration costs of inmates from the date of their conviction, as opposed to their date of sentence, which typically doesn’t take place until after a pre-sentence investigation report is conducted.

“We are proposing legislation to try to help with the issue to relate the regional jail cost back to the date of conviction as opposed to the date of sentence,” Parker said. “I don’t know how successful that will be due to state budgetary restrictions and where they will be able to find that money.”

Commissioner Mark Scott said if the bill continues to rise it will be unsustainable for the county to pay.

“When we look at the last three years it’s truly remarkable, the rise …,” Scott said. “Now, we see a rise of almost 300 percent in just three years. It’s truly unsustainable going into the future if we continue to see these kind of rises. Could you imagine another 300 percent rise over the next three years?”

Taylor said the regional jail bill is a major concern across the state.

“It’s the number one legislative issue going into this year’s legislative session as to how can we mitigate the expenses,” Taylor said. “We’re not saying ‘Don’t put them in jail.’ Most of you all know I spent 30 years of my life putting people in jail. Now as a commissioner I find myself trying to figure out how to keep people out of jail because it’s so expensive.”

Taylor said the additional $400,000 likely won’t be enough to finish out the remainder of this fiscal year.

“We are financially solvent. We cannot sustain another year or two taking $400,000 out of other accounts and continue to do this,” Taylor said. “And, I doubt very seriously that $400,000 this year is going to be enough to get us through the fiscal year.”

In other business:

• Commissioners unanimously approved a $5,000 funding request, to be taken from hotel/motel tax, for the 23rd annual Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs Expo, which will take place in March.

• Commissioners unanimously appointed Leesa Harris to the Randolph County Housing Authority Board of Directors, effective immediately and running through Dec. 31, 2021.

• Commissioners unanimously re-appointed Phyllis Lee to the Norton/Harding/Jimtown PSD Board, effective Jan. 1 and running through Dec. 31, 2022.

• Commissioners unanimously accepted a $23,600 bid for a generator to be placed at the Huttonsville/Mill Creek Volunteer Fire Department. The bid was made by Master Service Mid-Atlantic in Elkins.

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