Thursday, June 22, 2006
The commissioners didn't solve their budget shortfall for jail operations.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County is again facing the jailhouse financial blues.
Peter Argeropulos, chief operating officer for CiviGenics, the private company that runs the jail for the county, told the commissioners Wednesday that he expects the county will run out of money to pay CiviGenics for jail operations by the end of August.
Residents have twice voted not to renew a 0.5 percent sales tax that brought in about $4 million a year. The commissioners voted against imposing the tax but have placed it on the November ballot.
The commissioners asked for the meeting as they try to find ways to make it through the year short of money.
Saving money
The Massachusetts-based CiviGenics Inc. has been running the jail since 1998. The commissioners have estimated that having the private operator saves the county about $700,000 a year.
CiviGenics is looking at not getting $1.1 million of its $3.3 million annual contract.
If the sales tax passes, the commissioners don't expect to receive the revenue until July 2007, though they could borrow money if the tax is approved.
The jail had 190 inmates Wednesday. The average prisoner stay is 14 days.
Commissioner Sean Logan has raised the idea of putting those convicted of crimes on a waiting list to serve their sentences. The jail hasn't had a waiting list in the past eight years.
Commissioner Jim Hoppel said that "limiting the population of the jail is hard to do."
Argeropulos said, "I've never seen anyone able to do that. Judges are going to do what they do."
Argeropulos said that the county's not paying for jail services would be a breach of contract.
Argeropulos indicated that he would work with the commissioners. The company has a line of credit it can use to stay solvent because of the normal delay between its billing and the time it receives payment.
Needs payment
But Argeropulos added that the company couldn't continue to operate the jail "without a comfort level of payment."
The commissioners made no decision on how to deal with the shortfall in the jail budget.
Commissioner Gary Williams said, "The bottom line is that there is not enough money to jail all the prisoners. We don't have the money to pay CiviGenics."
The commissioners also ran short of money in 2000. The commissioners asked CiviGenics to extend credit to the county. The company declined.
wilkinson@vindy.com