Plans for a major rehabilitation or replacement of Butte County’s jail cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night, with the county’s biggest city signaling its support.
In a vote that saw Chico Mayor Mark Sorenson breaking with his conservative allies, the council narrowly signed on to a plan that significantly raises certain fees to pay for jail construction.
The current county lockup, partly built a half century ago and substantially expanded in the 1990s, is functionally obsolete. Additionally, more inmates are serving longer sentences in county jails because of overcrowding at state prisons.
Butte County Sheriff KoryHonea has urged money be provided to upgrade or replace the jail, saying a more efficient design would reduce costs and enable the county to provide programs aimed at helping inmates succeed on the outside once their sentences are up. If a grant application is successful, Sacramento will pick up nine-tenths of the cost.
To qualify for state funds, the county must provide the balance — about $4 million. Each municipality is being asked to join the county in passing that bill on to future homebuyers. The bill comes in the form of additional building fees ranging from $339 for each new apartment to $425 per house.
Several council members and a developer questioned the fairness of placing the financial burden on a small number of people. The fee would be less than $18 dollars if equally divided amongst the county’s entire population.
Vice Mayor Sean Morgan was the most forceful.
“I believe we need the new jail, I want the new jail, but the cost needs to be borne by a greater and more diverse group of people, than the very small niche of new homebuyers,” he said. “The entire city, the entire county’s gonna benefit. Unfortunately to me this looks like a new homeowners tax, regardless of its funding intent.”
With Oroville and Paradise already on board, if Biggs and Gridley approve a similar measure, the new fees will take effect throughout the county.