Oak Ridge Today

Guest column: Let’s house federal prisoners, not raise taxes, to pay for new jailers

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Chuck Fritts

Chuck Fritts

By Anderson County Commission Chairman Chuck Fritts

Commissioners,

A question we need to be asking ourselves: “Would our citizens rather us house low-risk federal prisoners in the Anderson County Detention Facility, or would they rather we raise their property taxes by about 15 cents to fund the cost of staffing the new jail addition?” When you honestly look at it, these are the only two choices we really have.

As chairman, I don’t have the opportunity to speak during our meetings, so I’ll give you my comments in advance. I have “carbon copied” the press so you don’t have to worry about me violating the Sunshine Law with this information.

There is a proposal being presented to place a non-binding referendum on the ballot in August on whether or not to house “low-risk federal prisoners” in the Anderson County Detention Facility. This concerns me greatly for several reasons: [Read more…]

Anderson committee recommends referendum on federal prisoners at county jail

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Anderson County Legislative Committee on Jail Referendum

The Anderson County Legislative Committee on Thursday recommended a non-binding referendum be put on the August ballot to ask voters whether federal and state prisoners should be housed at the county jail. From left are Whitey Hitchcock, Jerry Creasey, Tim Isbel, Dusty Irwin, and Steve Mead.

CLINTON—An Anderson County committee on Thursday recommended taking steps to ask voters in August whether state and federal prisoners should be housed in the county jail, which is being expanded.

Some county commissioners say that housing pre-trial federal inmates could help cover jail costs, while other county officials, including the mayor, say that they don’t want to get into the federal prison business.

On Thursday, the Anderson County Legislative Committee recommended that the Anderson County Commission consider sending the question to voters in a non-binding referendum in August.

But there are several hurdles. First, 11 of the 16 county commissioners would have to approve the move, possibly during their daytime meeting on Jan. 21, Commission Chairman Chuck Fritts said. Then, a private act would have to be approved in the Tennessee General Assembly in Nashville by early June to put the question on the August ballot. [Read more…]