Jail agreement should be final by Monday

YOUNGSTOWN — The final step for the city to ratify an agreement to board its misdemeanor prisoners in the Mahoning County jail will come Friday or Monday.

That's when the city board of control will have a special session just to approve the contract, said Mayor Jay Williams, a board member.

City council unanimously approved legislation this evening in support of the three-year deal and permiting the   three-member board of control to ratify the agreement.

County commissioners voted to support the tentative agreement Feb. 7.

Council's legislation gives an estimated cost to the city of $125,000 annually to house misdemeanor prisoners at the county jail and the county misdemeanant jail. The latter is expected to reopen in August after being closed for two years.

The legislation doesn’t have a financial cap, but Williams said if the city gets close to the $125,000 figure, the board would advise city council of that. He estimates the cost to the city at about $70,000 annually.

The tentative agreement calls for the city to pay a nominal fee for meals and medical costs for the first 71 city misdemeanor prisoners housed by the county. After that and up to 221 inmates, the city would pay a flat fee of $68.84 per prisoner per day.