Oringinally published in the weekly Yellowstone County New print edition.
BILLINGS — Yellowstone County may be asking voters on the primary ballot on June 7 permission to borrow the funding needed to build a 148-bed addition to the jail.
The request would not be for an increase in taxes, but to borrow the money needed, to be paid back through future existing revenues.
Last year, voters rejected a request for a 6- mill levy increase to build and maintain a $7 million, 100-bed addition.
The details of what is needed, whether to borrow, and if so, how much to borrow will be the topic of a departmental meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday. The county can borrow no more than $2 million without going to a vote of the people.
If they opt to borrow more than $2 million, the Commissioners will act on a Resolution of Intent to put the matter on the ballot. Last week, they set dates for hearings for public input. The first will be held at 9:30 a.m., Feb. 23 at the County Commissioners’ board room at the Courthouse, and a second hearing is set for March 8.
The Yellowstone County Detention Facility has been struggling with overpopulation for a number of years, but over the past year, despite multi-faceted efforts to reduce the number of inmates, the population keeps spiking above 500. On Jan. 18, it reached its highest level ever, at 514, even though they had reduced by every means possible, the number of inmates, said Sheriff Mike Linder.
The facility was built to house 286 inmates.
The overpopulation problem is especially impacting female inmates, many of whom are bunking on floors due to the lack of space.
In explaining his recommendations on how to finance the jail addition, County Director of Finance Kevan Bryan said that due to limited resources, “we have to read more
