BEULAH -- Benzie County officials said they may close a portion of the county jail if voters don't renew a millage that supports the bulk of its operations.
Voters on May 5 will decide whether to back a reduced millage for the 47-bed jail. The current millage is roughly 1.25 mills, and voters will asked to support a 0.9-mill levy for 2009 through 2014.
Honor resident Lois Link said she'd like to learn more about the tax before she casts a vote.
"I realize how important it is, but at the same time, I realize there's a lot of people not working. We just don't have the money," Link said.
Frankfort resident Mary Dykstra already has her mind made up.
"I think that because we've supported it in the past, it would be good to continue to support it," she said. "I look at Benzie County as a safe place to live, and it's probably adding to the safety."
The millage initially was approved a few years before the jail was completed in 1992.
Benzie Sheriff Rory Heckman said the millage covers about two-thirds of the $1.5 million needed to run the jail each year, so renewing it is "critical."
"We're not looking to expand; that's a key thing," he said. "We're trying to hold where we're at and not go backwards."
It's unlikely county general fund money would be used to completely make up for the loss if the millage fails, Heckman said. The end result could mean closing a 20-bed wing of the jail and laying off some corrections officers.
About 30 inmates occupy the jail on average, Heckman said, but it often approaches capacity in summer months.
A millage defeat also could cause road patrol units to be scaled back, Heckman said.
"That's not where I want to go, because we're not providing 24/7 road patrol now," he said. "But it may be a reality if this were to happen."
County Administrator Chuck Clarke said the county wouldn't be able to come close to providing the money lost by the millage if it's defeated. Non-mandated operations such as county equalization or planning could take a hit, Clarke said.
Benzie Prosecutor John B. Daugherty said misdemeanor and felony charges from January through April are up about 35 percent from the same period last year.
"The crime is there, and we need to address it," he said.
County officials also pledge to avoid the repeat of a multi-million dollar bungle tied to a prior jail millage.
Officials in 2004 discovered they overtaxed residents by around $2.7 million because they failed to implement property tax rollbacks for a 1989 jail millage. Rollbacks were required under the state's Headlee Amendment, which calls for a reduction in taxes if the assessed value of property increases more than the rate of inflation.
Refunds weren't given.
Katie Northway, of Beulah, believes the millage is "very important." Dick Kercher, also of Beulah, isn't convinced.
"I'm undecided," he said. "I want to make sure they need it."
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