NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- The Floyd County Jail needs millions of dollars in upgrades, and taxpayers are footing the bill.
Lana Aebersold, who sits on the Floyd County Council, said council members have been taking heat ever since the vote to approve the new Floyd County Jail Tax.
“It seems to be the fairest thing to do,” Aebersold said. “The best thing was to do the jail tax, and it is not that much, really, if you think about it.”
It's a 0.2 percent payroll income tax, and it will come out every Floyd County residents’ paycheck, even if the person works outside the county.
“If someone makes $50,000 a year, I think it will cost them $100 out of their paycheck,” Aebersold said.
The tax will bring in an estimated total of $4.5 million a year for the next 20 years. It will help cover operating costs to free up funds for other uses in the county, according to council member Denise Konkle.
The jail also needs a major makeover. Sheriff Frank Loop declined to comment on Friday about funding, but in a February interview, he told WDRB News the jail needs improvements now or it will risk paying more in the future to build a new jail.
“That should suffice so that the county doesn't have to spend $50 or $60 million to build a new jail,” Loop said.
The facility needs things like an updated kitchen and laundry room, proper heating and cooling and upgraded technology. Also, like many other jails nationwide, it needs more beds.
“It's overcrowded,” Aebersold said. “They've double-bunked people, so they're going to add an area where they'll have a lot more beds.”
The vote was 4-3 in favor of the tax, and those who voted against it said they think it’s a temporary fix for a long-term problem.
The new tax goes into effect on Oct. 1.
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