BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON - Butler County officials hope to coax $8 million from the state's capital budget for a new jail, but it may be a tough task.
The two-year capital budget contains $110 million for community projects throughout Ohio.
It will be difficult to persuade legislators to appropriate $8 million from that pot to Butler County if a lot of other counties compete for the money, said state Reps. Gene Krebs, R-Camden, and Gary Cates, R-West Chester, both members of the House Finance Committee.
Not all the districts will apply. Yet $8 million is a large amount to give to a single county, the legislators said.
"The jail is a pressing issue for Butler County, and I'll do whatever I can to get some funding from the state," Mr. Cates said. "But I would hate to promise that we could get $8 million. There will be a lot of requests for local projects."
This week, the county commissioners sent an appeal to the area's state legislators for assistance in obtaining $8 million for the jail.
State money could be crucial in the county's ability to build a jail without raising taxes.
The Jail Work Group, a committee developing plans for construction of a jail, has determined the county needs a jail with a capacity of 400 prisoners, with the room to double-cell up to 800.
Preliminary estimates indicate such a jail would cost $28 million to $30 million. Commissioner Mike Fox, chairman of the Jail Work Group, predicts it could be built for $23 million.
Whatever the cost, the $8 million state grant would represent a significant savings for Butler County.
The legislature is expected to vote on how to appropriate capital budget monies in mid-December. House budget hearings could begin next week.
Mr. Krebs said it's critical for Butler County officials to send him and local state legislators information about the proposed jail as quickly as possible.
Mr. Fox, who was a state representative for 22 years, said a much-needed jail seems a far more worthy candidate for state money than numerous sports stadium projects lining up for money.
"The legislature is not only building stadiums for major league sports teams, but also for minor league sports teams," he said. "It's absurd."
Mr. Krebs said the fate of Butler County's request could depend on which fund the legislature uses to help finance planned sports facilities.
If some of the stadium money comes from the capital budget, it could leave little for Butler's jail, he said.
Building the jail is only part of Butler County's financial concerns.
The annual cost of operating the existing jail - built for 80 inmates but often housing 180 or more - is $2.9 million. The new jail could cost $6 million to $7 million per year to operate.
The commissioners hope to be able to cover future jail operating costs by building up the county's reserve fund.
To achieve that, they will allow county spending next year to increase by a maximum of 3 percent. In recent years, they have imposed a 5 percent spending cap.
