August 2, 2002

Yes, I support a new juvenile facility.  But, I could not support the one approved by Commissioners Randy Franke and Mike Ryan recently.  There are two critical reasons.

We have not done a current bed needs assessment.  And, realistic, reliable funds to operate a new facility have not been fully identified. 

For four years I have clearly stated that we must only build what we can afford.  Base the number of beds and programs on research.  This opinion has been expressed by numerous professionals, including the often-referred to Youth Law Center.  With the needs verified by research, justification for directing scarce budget dollars to it will gain support both inside the county and from the community.

Marion County will be faced with cutting programs, services and employees next year,  and the year after that, just as we did last year.  This means juvenile, like every other department, will have to make cuts.  A new facility adds additional operating costs of over a half a million dollars annually.  What will be cut to fund that new expense?

Before construction can begin, Marion County must make its final $800,000 construction cost contribution, and we must receive final approval of the federal construction grant dollars.

In accepting the federal grant money to construct the facility, we must show we have the financial resources to operate the facility to design capacity.  Believing some proposed operating funds are not reliable,  the following questions must be answered.

What penalty is there if we do not have the operating funds the day the doors open?  What if we can only afford to operate a portion of the facility?   It appears the grant calls for nothing less than full occupancy.  Otherwise, Marion County could face substantial financial consequences.

Although some identified operating funds are reliable and sustainable over time, unreliable sources include the proposed juvenile market and a proposed law enforcement levy.  

An approximate 2000 square-foot, two-story juvenile produce market and coffee stand, at a cost of approximately $240,000, has been proposed.  Solid Waste may loan that construction money.     Solid Waste has made a good case over the years that they need every penny of their reserve for not-so-distant-future expenditures, some of them legally required.  Can proceeds of this produce market repay a $240,000 loan and at the same time still net $100,000 to offset operating expenses of another facility, as proposed?   This has not been approved.

A four-year $56 million law enforcement levy has been proposed.  The levy includes a $400,000 annual contingency.  Of that, it has been proposed that $200,000 could be used to offset juvenile operating expenses.  What happens at the end of four years?  There was a clear expression that no money in the levy was for general operation of the new juvenile facility.  The Board has not yet voted to send this to the voters.  But the real question is, “Would voters approve it in November? 

If these questions can be addressed satisfactorily, I could be on board!

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