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Robinson: No Property Tax Increase, No Privatization Of Escambia County Jail
June 17, 2013
Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson has responded to a letter from Sheriff David Morgan that transfers control the county jail back to the county on September 1.
Robinson said, in a written letter, that he is willing to look at options except for a property tax increase to find a way to fund the understaffed jail that was the target of a Department of Justice investigation. The jail needs funding for new detention officers to comply with the DOJ findings, and, so far, there’s been no where near a consensus among commissioners as how to fund the improvements.
“I am willing to work with you and your office in any way that we can to do some temporary additions and improvements to support the jail and its administration,” Robinson wrote. “Whether that option is to look at reserve funds for additional corrections officers or suspension of raises for county employees I am very open and willing to cooperate with you.”
He goes on to say he is adamant in his position not to raise ad valorem taxes that impact both citizens and businesses recovering from “the most recent economic recession”.
Robinson said that jail privatization is not an option that he would consider at this time based upon the unsuccessful implementation of privatization in other Florida counties.
The commissioner also wrote to the sheriff that “if you believe the management of the Escambia County jail is beyond you capacity, I am willing to relieve you of your responsibility as agent”. He points out that Marion County in Florida is about to take control of their jail “to protect their vision for their county in its entirety.”
Comments
22 Responses to “Robinson: No Property Tax Increase, No Privatization Of Escambia County Jail”
And jobs? In Escambia county, w/ an arrest record? They must be joking. This is the one of the worst places for decent paying jobs that I’ve ever lived in. If people don’t make an income..they’re going to naturally do what they deem necessary to survive..and what’s that likely to be? Drugs, and thievery. No raises? Boo hoo. Most people don’t get raises. You at least have a pension, plus social security to look forward to. Most don’t. Especially in this county. I’ve overheard many people that have lost their homes after experience health issues. There are a huge number of working poor here. Ever notice how many people are walking now? It didn’t used to be that way. The county has lost a large amount of revenue. It’s a downwards spiral. Expect things to get much worse.
For one, the war on drugs is a joke. More so when you consider the hypocrisy involved w/ alcohol and tobacco being legal substances to profit from. Portugal decriminalized simple possession of ALL drugs 15 years ago and drug use has gone down..and addicts have been able to feel that they could receive help. We learned nothing from the past. Alcohol prohibition created violence and increased crime..and so does drug prohibition. The war on drugs has created harm, ans solved nothing. It’s created a huge increase in prices which creates an incentive for groups like cartels to create mayhem in order to reap the profits. It amazes me just how stupid the policies are, that our “leaders” come up w/..and it’s not that they don’t know. There have been plenty of studies..and again, there’s the example of Portugal.
@Confused, I would recommend obtaining training in another career field that offers better pay and working days.
If I were to become a corrections officer it would be for altruistic reasons. Those poor souls throwing feces and urine. They might do that once with me, but through my patient conditioning they would learn never do it again.
Corrections officers should be teachers as well.
To back up other BCC employees. None of us, Police, Sheriff Officers, EMS, etc have gotten raises in over eight years! The minimum pay for our jobs has increased which means that anyone coming in after we do make more money than us even though we have the tenure… It’s a joke!!!!
@429SCJ :
The salary of all elected officials is set by Florida Statute based upon a formula that computes a base salary and population of each county.. The Sheriff would have received the same salary regardless if he manages the jail or not.
The salary for Sheriff for Fiscal Year:
2012 – 2013 = $138,501
2011 – 2012 = $138,401
2010 – 2011 = $139,391
2009 – 2010 = $139,423
2008 – 2009 = $139,313
2007 – 2008 = $139,022
For County Commissioner:
2012 – 2013 = $73,632
2011 – 2012 = $73,531
2010 – 2011 = $74,474
2009 – 2010 = $74,505
2008 – 2009 = $74,400
2007 – 2008 = $74,188
They can just raise taxes to pay for the law suits that the county will lose when the defendant throw the DOJ report into evidence. This is the most backwards looking county there must be. Are all the commissioners idiots? We raise gas tax to fund a bus system that maybe serves 1% of the county population! I drive by the bus station everyday and there might be 20 people waiting.
In addition to his salary as Sheriff, how much is Sheriff Morgan paid to perform the additional job as Jailer for Escambia County?
property taxes and insurance are a rip off in florida. always have been , always will be, example: that silly mess with the supposed bus route from the north end.
@ I work there:
The only raise (if you can call it a raise) employees received at the Sheriff’s office since Morgan took office was the 3% increase the BCC granted all county employees to off-set the employee tax Governor Scott instituted in the form of a forced contribution to the retirement plan.
Of course, the contribution didnt go to the retirement plan but to the general fund to balance the State’s budget.
Hope this sets you straight that the Sheriffs Employee’s haven’t received any raises in at least 7 years.
“suspension of raises for county employees” What a joke. There has not been any raises to the Escambia County BCC employees in over 8 years. Those Escambia Tax Dept and the Sheriffs Office get the raises while the rest have not.
Ah you don’t understand,
Inmates have more rights than we do and bleeding hearts to protect them.
@Mick,
The majority of those inmates at the jail are non-sentenced. They have only been charged with a crime not found guilty of a crime. Have you ever been accused of doing something you didnt do?
TV’s are a pacifier. Just like some parents put their little ones in front of a TV for hours at a time to keep them focused on something other than bothering the parent, the TV keeps an inmate from seeking other avenues of entertainment – namely fights, vandalism of property, etc.
Ever had the privilege of supervising 80 children by yourself? Would you want to? That’s typically the number of inmates one Corrections Officer is supervising at any given time. That TV is an important behavior tool for the CO in controlling the inmates.
Also, the TV’s are paid for from the profits of the commissary. Every time the inmate buys an item from the commissary he funds the purchase of other items that benefit him to include: clothing for indigent inmates, equipment for the kitchen, supplies for the Chaplain, salaries for the Counselors, services provided by the barber, etc.
To eliminate the control items you suggested, will only result in more fights, making an already higher risk facility more dangerous.
@Just an idea:
There are statutes and other rules as to who can be allowed to perform work as an inmate. No one incarcerated with an “aggravated” charge, such as aggravated assault, agg battery, home invasion, escape, manslaughter or other form of homicide can be considered for work status.
The new jail has one dorm of women and one dorm of men (about 160 total) assigned as inmate workers. The Main Jail has another dorm of workers (about 88) who are inmate workers. There are also “housemen” assigned to each housing unit who provide work related duties in those areas which adds another 50 inmate workers for about 300 total inmates assigned to work programs.
These inmates perform services from custodial duties, to working in the kitchen, laundry or commissary. They also perform work details in the Sheriffs garage area and maintain the premises at all of the Sheriff’s Office properties.
There are another 160+ inmates assigned to the County Road Prison who conduct a variety of services for the County, from filling potholes to cutting grass at the holding ponds to building drainage culverts or picking up trash. They also work at the County Landfill. While the Road Camp could use another 50 inmate to work on their road crews, there simply arent enough inmates whose criminal history qualify them to work.
The vast majority of those arrested and lounge about their jail cell have a criminal history that prevents them from being assigned to a work detail. There are those inmate who are working that are more of a problem for those who supervise them. These inmates have no desire to work and spend more time avoiding the work than what it would to actually perform the assigned task. The old saying that you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink applies. You cant assign a inmate to a work crew but you cant make him work!
When an inmate makes a phone call, a portion of the funds received go back to the operations of the jail. A 15 minute local call cost $2.25. When an inmate makes a purchase from the commissary the profits pay for the operations of the commissary and can be used to fund the salaries of those in the programs unit Counselors, Law Librarian, etc.
Each inmate booked into the facility pays a fee for being processed, they also pay a daily subsistence fees for food and medical. Even when they leave jail, they are billed for their outstanding debts. Some money is collected, but there’s that old saying, you cant squeeze blood from a turnip!
Just an idea they already take money from inmates accounts for their stay unless they changed that.
jailhouse guests should have these options: you dont work you dont eat, you dont cleanup and maintain your temporary living facilties you dont eat…hunger is a powerful motivator, the taxpayer provides the steel cage apts. Prisoners should not get a free ride…no tv, not anything…simple everyday necessities that law abiding people struggle to provide for their families, criminals forfeit when they make the choice to break the law…the taxpayers burden should be minimal…make the crooks earn their keep…
Perhaps the families of the inmates should be required to defray the cost of incarceration. Or have the inmate work for the food. There are many jobs that can be done by the inmates such as cleaning and maintaining the facility.
And Frank, I’m with you on the arrogant slight.
The prisons need to be safe and healthy. We can’t raise taxes every time more funds are needed for the county’s budget. Experienced law makers realize this.
Seems as though taxes could be raised to provide safety and security for ALL of Escambia County citizens instead of a gas tax to pay for 1/3 of Escambia County Citizens. I don’t understand this logic!!! Remove the pay raises? There hasn’t been any seen in at least 8 years for me. They are bringing this county down faster and faster, average people cant survive while they are taking trips to Panama and living high on the hog. But on a bright note, at least one of them understands the disaster Private Jails turn into!
Suspension of county employee raise should not be an option. How about you waiting 5 to 7 years for pay raise!!!
A political spin to say “If you not competent, we can handle it” tic-toc…someone is about to get burned
Well, that’s one commissioner, how many more do we need to get something accomplished? Does the sheriff have their attention yet?
Let’s just wait and see what happens. I don’t think this is an easy fix or it would’ve been done already.