NEW TAX WOULD FUND CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS
In August, Platte County will ask voters to approve a 20-year half cent sales tax to build and operate a major expansion of the county jail in Downtown Platte City.
If passed, a three-story expansion would be added to the current jail, expanding capacity from 180 to more than 470 inmates. The expansion would be constructed on what is now an employee parking lot at the northwest corner of the current county buildings.
Joe Vanover, second district county commissioner, said the new tax would generate a projected $332 million in sales tax revenue for the jail and its operation over 20 years. In addition, Vanover said the new sales tax would also generate an estimated $76 million in use tax revenue over that time period, for a total of $408 million in projected revenue going toward the new jail and its operation and maintenance over the 20 years of the tax.
Those projections are based on a three percent sales tax revenue growth rate year-over-year, Vanover said.
The use tax is applied to online and out of state purchases.
“Platte County approved a use tax years ago. Whenever a new sales tax is added, additional use tax flows into the county government general fund. The use tax and the sales tax apply to purchases at the same tax rate,” Vanover said. “Our financial plan dedicates the additional use tax to the detention center expansion and improvement project. The commission believes all the additional new taxes, sales and use, should be spent on the project approved by voters,” he told The Landmark on Monday.
In terms of revenue generated, the county’s August ballot question is the largest tax increase ever proposed by the county of Platte.
On Monday, county commissioners Scott Fricker, Dagmar Wood and Vanover unanimously approved putting two questions on the August ballot. The first is for general obligation bonds of $85 million, with $80 million of that for construction, design and contingency costs, $2.5 million in financing costs for the bonds, and $2.5 million for reserve.
The remainder of the projected $408 million in funds generated over the 20 years–approximately $323 million–would go for operating, maintaining and equipping the jail.
The new sales tax would be in addition to an already-existing quarter cent sales tax for “operation of law enforcement” approved by voters in 2020. The existing law enforcement sales tax brings in nearly $6 million per year.
The new proposal would add 320 beds to the existing jail capacity of 180.. Though adding 320 to 180 would equal 500 beds, Vanover said actual capacity of the new facility will be 471 beds.
“The plan, based on the recommendations of Bill Garnos (a jail population expert hired by the county), is to return the detention center built in 1998 back to the designed capacity of about 151 beds.” He did not elaborate on the reasoning.
The current jail now is equipped to house 180 beds for inmates. Sheriff Mark Owen has said inmate population has peaked at 240. But overall, the average daily inmate population in the jail dropped last year. The average daily population of the jail in the year 2023 was 194 inmates, which is down from 214 average daily population in 2022. These inmate population figures were reported at a meeting of a committee appointed to study the jail situation last fall.
Vanover released this prepared statement after Monday’s vote to put the jail proposal on the August ballot:
“”The jail we built 26 years ago is full and we have done everything we can to help people stay out of jail such as increased house arrest and treatment court. Platte County needs a solution that will get us through the next 25 years. Expanding and improving the detention center will let us better segregate violent and sexual offenders and provide mental health care and educational opportunities for inmates. All that we have done to build up law enforcement and public safety will fall apart if we don’t have a jail that is large enough to house the people that need to be there. It is time to let the voters decide the level of public safety they want in Platte County.”
The architect’s proposal calls for “a three story addition.” The lower level would be dedicated to intake, detention administration and jail support. The first and second levels would feature 160 beds per level, with seven classifications per level.
Plans indicate the facility would include things such as expanded education and rehab rooms, separate wing for medical, mental health and suicide watch, a detention command and administration office, and a modern evidence processing area.
Expanded laundry and kitchen facilities are planned in the basement of the current facility, in what has been known as the “futures” area.
HMN Architects, an Overland Park firm that has designed several jails in Missouri, was awarded a design contract for the Platte County Detention Center at the end of 2023.
The recommendation from the county commission-appointed Committee for Public Safety last fall didn’t mention including operation costs in a ballot proposal.
The committee’s report to the county commission said:
“The committee recommends that the Platte County Commission authorize a basic construction proposal to build a ‘stacked’ addition to the current jail on the county property on the northwest corner of the current county buildings, with 312 new beds in addition to the existing 152 beds for a total of 464 beds in at least 13 pods built in the same general arrangement as the current cells, day rooms, and security hub. Expansion of service areas, including kitchen, laundry, holding areas and attorney-client meeting rooms to be included.”
The committee’s report went on to say “the committee further recommends that the commission submit a proposal to voters of the county to adopt a sales tax to expire in 10 years at either 1/4th of a cent or 3/8th of a cent rates, as the commission chooses.”
County commissioners have entered into a contract with Parson & Associates to conduct an “educational campaign” about the proposal. That effort will cost taxpayers at least $79,200, and up to $84,200.
While taxpayers are paying for what the commission calls an “educational campaign,” Vanover says there will be no campaigning done with that money.
“No public funds will be spent to advocate, support, or oppose the two ballot questions. Phone calls are not part of the contract,” Vanover said on Tuesday in response to a Landmark question.
With average daily inmate population of 194 last year and a possible expansion to more than 470 beds in the near future, obviously there will be plenty of empty bed space when the facility opens. Vanover was asked if the plan is for Platte County to lease jail space to other agencies to house other entities’ prisoners.
“The plan is to be able to pay debt service and operational costs without relying on outside inmate income (federal prisoners and other county jail overflow). If outside inmates are housed in the detention center during the years it has vacancy, that revenue will be available to pay down the debt more quickly. But we cannot be assured of revenue from outside agencies and have not included it in the financial plan,” Vanover said.
The county’s plan anticipates the first full year of operation of the new detention center is 2028, Vanover said.
RELATED OPINION POST:
