By Tia Lyons
Staff Writer
EL DORADO — El Dorado and Union County officials discussed Thursday a wide range of issues to gain a better understanding of operations at the county jail and the per diem rates each pays to house inmates there.
The meeting resulted from a request by Mayor Frank Hash for the Union County Quorum Court to hold off on an increase of daily jail fees from $30 to $35.
The increase was to have gone into effect on Aug. 1, but on July 21, Hash asked Justices of the Peace to delay the raise until Jan. 1, allowing the El Dorado City Council time to review the city budget.
Hash also asked that the city be involved in discussions and decisions regarding the jail fees, and he called for a meeting between city and county officials.
On Thursday, aldermen Vance Williamson and Willie McGhee and Police Chief Billy White sat down with JPs Johnny Burson and Benny Vestal (who make up the quorum court’s Jail Committee), Sheriff Mike McGough, sheriff-elect Ricky Roberts and jail administrator Capt. Richard Mitcham.
During a lengthy discussion, Williamson reiterated that the city is simply asking for a seat at the table, noting that the council had not budgeted for the $5 increase in 2016.
The city absorbed a $2 increase ($28 to $30) in January, but when the quorum court called for the $5 increase in April, city officials said they would ask to put the brakes on the matter.
Hash told JPs last week that the increase would have meant an additional $114,000 above what the council had budgeted for daily fees to house city inmates in the county jail.
“It came without any formal process or prior warning,” Hash said at the time.
Additionally, Hash said the city pays a portion of operational costs and the judge’s salary for 35th Judicial District Court.
City officials met this week to discuss declining revenues and expenses that have cropped up in the 2016 budget.
Burson said on July 21 that when quorum court members learned that the jail was losing money, they looked for ways to curb expenses and meet the revenue shortfall.
He said JPs had compared daily rates with three other counties and took the lowest of quotes of $35, $38, and $50.
Burson also said then that the state average is $47 per day.
A number of factors contribute to the annual jail budget, which was $4.4 million in 2015, McGough said, personnel, citing clothing, food, medical, electricity, water and sewer, and other costs.
McGough said Thursday that he asked the quorum court to form a jail committee because he was constantly hammered with questions about costs, including overtime pay.
He noted that the OT questions mainly came from Burson, and Burson said the Jail Committee had met about four times since it was formed.
The group discussed high turnover rates for jailers, noting that the job is mentally and physically taxing.
McGough said jailers deal with a number of issues each day, such as breaking up fights; inmates yelling, cussing, spitting and throwing feces at them; and tending to inmates’ medical needs, including those with mental health issues.
McGough and Mitcham said the jailers are among the lowest paid employees in the sheriff’s office, with McGough noting that starting pay is about $12 an hour.
“I was always getting into his ass about overtime, but I feel guilty for cutting out overtime for people we’re not paying enough to start with,” Burson said.
McGhee, a former police officer, said he understands the pressures jailers face.
“You’ve got human beings who don’t want to be back there who are going to make it as difficult as possible for the human beings who are back there watching them,” McGhee said.
“It’s an unthankful job for what they’re making, the stress they go through and what they have to deal with,” he said. “We need to let them know that we care about them as much as we care about the men and women who locked up back there.”
Officials also agreed to study an Attorney General’s opinion outlining the financial responsibilities for inmates who are arrested by the UCSO and the EPD, pre- and post-sentencing, for felony and misdemeanor crimes.
White said more than $500,000 is spent from his budget each year to cover jail fees and costs for district court.
Also included in the discussion was how labor is divided between the city and county for inmates who are working off fines and those who are sentenced to community service, and the applicable rules and guidelines as they pertain to supervision of the inmates while they are on work assignments.
The group agreed to continue the discussion on Aug. 15, and Williamson suggested that they invite county Judge Mike Loftin to participate.
“Maybe he has some ideas we’re not thinking of,” Williamson said.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.