To the editor:
We need a new or expanded jail, but you should vote NO for the county jail referendum! You know why? Because you know who is going to vote yes: All those residents who are not paying their fair share and want the rest of us to contribute more.
A yes vote will allow the county commissioners to tax all property owners above the statutory limits of our state constitution. A no vote will still allow the project to continue, but all the property owners who haven’t reached the limit (1, 2 or 3 percent) will be affected. This is exactly what our legislature and the people intended. If you can afford a $100,000 home, you can afford 1 percent property tax; if you have a million-dollar home, you can afford a 1 percent property tax.
Once everyone is paying their 1, 2 or 3 percent tax — if they still need more dollars — there is an option to raise the county income tax for everyone by 0.01 percent, which will apply to all county residents. So please vote NO on the jail referendum, or you will allow those who are not contributing their 1 percent to pass on their just tax burden to those who are already contributing their maximum just amount of taxes.
Also take into consideration that this project is for a state-of-the-art jail that gives our criminal population better living conditions than most of the county residents enjoy. Also, as the legislature works to de-criminalize drug offenses and legalize certain drug use, the population is sure to decrease.
Instead of a new facility to increase capacity here in Hancock County, maybe a better solution is to change the state law and require that suspected and/or convicted criminals be incarcerated in and prosecuted in their jurisdiction of residence. I believe this would not only eliminate the need for a new Hancock County jail but also result in a huge decrease in our county prosecutor’s required funding. As an added benefit, I’ll bet the surrounding counties would start paying a lot more attention to what their residents are doing.
Ernest Borowicz
Greenfield
