- This November, Jackson County voters will be asked to approve a 0.25 millage to fund Jackson County jail operations, adding about $19 to an average homeowner's annual taxes.
- This ballot measure comes after two prior jail millages were turned down by voters.
- Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette claims County officials will force $1 million in cuts on his office if the millage doesn't pass.
- County officials we heard from are hesitant to confirm this.
- Video shows Sheriff Schuette warning of impending cuts should the millage fail, excerpts of an interview with County Administrator Mike Overton about what is driving such considerations, and County Commissioners.
DIGITAL BONUS: EXTENDED INTERVIEW WITH JACKSON COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OVERTON ABOUT COUNTY FINANCES AND WHY A JAIL MILLAGE IS ON THE TABLE.
One of the biggest questions this November in Jackson: what happens to law enforcement if voters again reject the jail millage on their ballot?
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Jackson's last jail millage expired in 2022. Since then, voters rejected two new jail millages, and the County has been funding jail operations from the general fund.
This time, the ask is 0.25 mills — for jail operations only. For the average County homeowner, that would be about $19 in additional taxes per year.
Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette has been warning: "What happens if this millage fails? Well, I've been informed that I will need to cut approximately one million dollars from my budget."
I went to see County Administrator Mike Overton to ask him about that. Overton showed me that, at $12 million, the Sheriff's Office is far and away the County's biggest budget item. He says covering jail operations has been depleting the County's reserve.
I asked Overton if he told Sheriff Schuette he'd have to cut a million from his budget.
He said: "I did tell him that, to be frank."
Overton says the County has cut to the bone just about everywhere else. Some things cannot be cut due to state and federal grant requirements.
WATCH MY EXTENDED INTERVIEW WITH OVERTON:
"When you look at these other things here that we can cut...we don't have a lot of control over a lot of these. And, frankly, they're so small -- a lot of these are one, two, three people in a department. You cut a person out of that department, you've pretty much gutted it. There's only one person left to do the work."
But would he really do it? Force Sheriff Gary Schuette to cut $1 million from his budget?
"That's up to the County Commissioners, frankly," is Overton's response.
So I asked each of our County Commissioners this simple question:
If the jail millage fails, would you order Sheriff Schuette to cut $1 million from his budget?
Three of our nine Commissioners responded — Phil Duckham, Corey Kennedy, and Earl Poleski.
None of them would commit to a specific position or a number, saying they'd have to consider their options.
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