A meeting of City, County and School District officials, as well as many other community leaders, last Wednesday, was dominated by discussions of the future needs of the community and competing demands upon taxpayers, as the County pursues a levy and bond to expand the jail and School District 7 projects a mill levy request for 2027.
Billings resident, Jack Hansen, speaking from the audience launched discussion saying he is tired of the anti-tax sentiment he commonly hears in Montana. “Civilization costs money,” he said, “and we have to pay for it.” He went on to say that he has never lived anywhere that has lower taxes than Montana.
Voter approval of the jail expansion will depend on whether “it will go for good,” said Hansen, pointing out that it is attempting to address “complex social problems.” He further stated, “We can’t incarcerate our way out of these problems”, going on to urge spending money on other issues such as mental health.
A woman also spoke from the audience to say, “Incarceration is a weak deterrent for crime.” She urged spending more money on things like schools, after school programs, and public parks which give families and children alternatives. She then noted that the bathrooms in public parks are “invariably locked.”
A letter was read from Emily Romrell, also urging that Billings invest in schools. Several other audience members also spoke not necessarily in opposition to supporting the jail expansion but affirming that in the long run education, early childhood care and health care are most important. Commented one woman, “prevention is going to take time.”
Billings Police Chief Rich St. John explained how successful the short-term facility, built jointly by the City and the County, has been since it became operational a few months ago. It has allowed law enforcement to hold people accountable for what they do, he said, which was something they could not do with the jail filled to over- capacity. Overall misdemeanor cases, said St. Johns, are down 7 percent.
It was noted that the short-term facility was built to different standards than those of a jail.
In response to an audience comment from a woman who said she and her family do not feel safe in Billings, St. John said, “I am sorry that the perception is it is not safe in Billings, but it is. . . We do have problematic areas, for sure. There are some bad people here, but most of the time it is not random.” He said that many of the murders are among people who know each other. He further emphasized that the greatest crime issue in Billings is domestic violence – children are seeing violence in the home.
City Councilman Bill Kennedy advised that everyone pay close attention to the next legislative session since the legislators have proclaimed that they will be focused on property taxes. “We live off of property taxes,” he said.
County Commissioner Mike Waters stated “Public safety is at the top of our list.” That is why the two issues – a bond levy and a maintenance levy for the jail expansion are on the November ballot. Both measures must past in order for the other to be implemented – it is not an option to pick just one.
Waters noted that there were 622 inmates in the Yellowstone County Detention Facility (YCDF) on that day, and capacity of the jail is 434. “It’s been a problem for a number of years,” he said, “We need to be responsible and give the right resources to our law enforcement. . . . at the end of the day law enforcement needs a place for the number of inmates.”
Waters pointed out that while there are state and federal inmates held in the YCDF, as well as a few from neighboring counties, most are being held for Yellowstone County.
He agreed that “taxpayer fatigue is real. . . we have to live with property taxes.” Waters agreed that education is “hugely important” but expansion of the jail has been a need for a long time and “we haven’t been asking. . . but we aren’t going to put it off any more. . . we don’t ask for the money lightly.”
Asked about options, Waters replied, “There are not a lot of good options.”
Sheriff Mike Linder explained that many of those being held in jail are waiting to go to trial on “serious issues.” “We are careful about who is in jail,” he said, adding, “the short term holding facility has been very effective . . . we are using it for the right people at the right time. . . they get held accountable.” He also added that there are some very bad … Read full story here.
