Saline County Voters To Vote On New Jail
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
Voters in Saline County have twice turned away
tax proposals for funding a new jail. County officials will try to
win the public`s support once again this November.
Although they set the date for the election, quorum court
members have yet to decide specifics about the proposed sales tax
increase.
Voters rejected a temporary half-percent tax to fund a new jail
in a May 2001, special election. A second initiative was defeated
in the 2002 general election. Monroe, Saline and Yell counties are
the only Arkansas counties without a county sales tax.
In 2001, the Saline County Jail failed state standards because
of overcrowding. The jail, built in 1983, was approved to hold 32
inmates but routinely houses 65 inmates and as many as 100 on
weekends.
