Hancock County Presentation_UPDATED
Click link above to see the plans for the project at this stage of design.
Hancock County Local Government Information and Opinion
Personal blog and website of Commissioner John Jessup… There are alot of questions about the referendum question, the Criminal Justice Facilities Project itself and how we as a county are going to pay for such a project… I will attempt to answer those questions here. NOTE: The opinions on this website are those of Commissioner John Jessup. This website is owned and operated by Commissioner Jessup and is in no way affiliated with the Board of Commissioners as a whole or the Hancock County Government.
Hancock County Presentation_UPDATED
Click link above to see the plans for the project at this stage of design.
Meeting called to discuss Criminal Justice Facilties Project, referendum… Board of Commissioners to accept public comment.
NOTICE OF MEETING
Notice is hereby given that the Hancock County Board of Commissioners will meet at 6:30 PM on the 25th day
of April, 2018, in the meeting room in the basement of the county jail at 123 E. Main St., Greenfield, Indiana.Brad Armstrong, President
Hancock County Board of Commissioners
NOTICE OF MEETING
Notice is hereby given that the Hancock County Council will meet at 6:30 PM on the 25th day of April, 2018,
in the meeting room in the basement of the jail at 123 E. Main St.., Greenfield, Indiana.
William Bolander, President
Hancock County Council
As a side note…my beautiful daughter Rachel got her first varsity start on the EH Varsity Softball squad last night…Batted 3 for 3, had 8 put outs in her first start as catcher in EH’s 10-0 victory. I missed that so that I could be there for all the people that have questions and have been lamenting how they have had no opportunities to hear discussion on this project or referendum. I missed that to answer questions and give a lot of people who are being given incorrect information and half truths the chance to clear up things. I suppose its easier to just spread rumors, and disinformation than it is to take a little time to get the truth. Rach was pretty disappointed, but in true fashion to my kids (and I know a few other kids of sitting commissioners that have given up countless hours with their dads over the years for the business of Hancock County), she said “I understand, Pops”….I’m glad she understands, because I sure don’t.
Please if you’ve got questions about this project…Come see me Thursday or come see me Friday.
Jail population update…
April 16, 2018
219 inmates incarcerated in a facility with a functional capacity of 126 (80% of total 157 beds)
45 inmates in our charge being housed in other counties.
45 inmates times $35 per day reimbursement from the state equals $1575 per day lost revenue from the state. Multiply that times 365 days…
$574,875 in lost revenue over the next year.
There are just a few things that I am in disagreement with or feel need to be clarified here…
The Author states that “a yes vote will allow the county commissioners to tax all property owners above the statutory limits of our state constitution”…
It will allow the County Council the OPTION of using property tax in the financing of the project. As far as exceeding the statutory limits, that is precisely the intent of the referendum process…to allow you the voter to decide if a project is worthy of exceeding those limits. Under the old system, county leaders would just do as they pleased and pass the cost to property owners. The old process made it much too easy to build the “Taj Mahals” that people remember. This new process is a transparent way to involve the public in deciding what form of taxation is utilized to fund needed projects.
No one wants their property tax OR their income taxes raised. I know I don’t…but there are projects that are necessary and proper that must be funded for the public good.
The property tax caps were not intended to guarantee that no one would ever pay more than the one percent of assessed value…they were intended to restrict local taxing authorities from unfairly burdening the property tax payers without properly informing them and seeking their approval.
The Author goes on to say that “this is going to be a state of the art facility”… I am not sure what else the taxpayers of this county would want or expect. The project is intended to meet the needs of our criminal justice system for the next 25 to 30 years. It is being designed to be the most efficient facility possible. As far as giving inmates better living conditions than most citizens in the county…Come on, that’s silly, it is jail. No one wants to be there. No one wants to pay for them to be there. Let’s refer back to the same constitution and body of statutes that was referenced by the author… Those laws and precepts demand that we provide for public safety. They demand that those found guilty of crime be sentenced. They demand that the sheriff of a county have the facilities to house those sentenced to serve time. They demand that proper care be given and that their sentences be rehabilitative and not punitive in nature.
Lastly the author’s idea that the state force incarceration in the person’s county of residence is intriguing on the surface, but it would cause so many unintended consequences and inefficiencies that there is not enough time in this post to address.
To the author of the editorial, I understand your frustration with the situation. The situation with overcrowding was delivered to us by a legislature that in an effort to help its own bloated budget devastated countless counties across the state by sending all Level 6 felons to county jails from the state Department of Corrections. The drug/opioid crisis is frustrating and costly both to the lives it effects and to county resources. Local law enforcement, county and state leaders are doing all they can to get in front of it and curb it, but this too is the hand we have been dealt. We must respond to it and do all that can be done to guarantee the public safety of the citizens of Hancock County. This is what the board of commissioners is seeking to do. This is what this project does…regardless of what form of taxes is used to finance it.
Please come and I will attempt to answer any questions that the public has. Note…This is not a called or advertised meeting of the Board of Commissioners. This is an opportunity to get information out to the public. I will ask that anyone that has questions please submit them in writing to me at the meeting. That way I can answer them in person and then also answer them here on this site. Index cards will be available at the meetings. I felt that in response to comments that the board has not made an effort to inform the public, I would provide additional opportunities. There has been a large number of meetings on this topic and multiple opportunities for the public to be heard. I believe in giving the public as many chances as is possible to be heard. Please come see me…
This project has been discussed for a very long time dating back to the first jail study in 2010…
2010 Criminal Justice Facilities Project Study
Commissioners-Council_-Jail_Meeting-04-18-2017
Here is the resolution that was passed after the statutorily required public meetings establishing the need for such a project and clearing the way for it to be placed on the ballot in the May Primary.
Resolution_of_Need_for_Project_2017
UPDATED…
Hancock Co Jail General Update Report
Here are links to the Progress Reports on the Criminal Justice Facilities Project to date…
Hancock Co Jail Progress Report #1
Hancock Co Jail Progress Report #2
Hancock Co Jail Progress Report #3
Hancock Co Jail Progress Report #4
Please look at these for yourself…Questions? Email me. I will answer any questions here.