EDITORIAL: Time to revisit jail expansion project

It was not surprising to hear that the Flathead County Detention Center had set a record for occupancy earlier this week.

Of course, that is nothing new. The jail, after all, has a finite intended capacity of 107 inmates, but a mission that necessitates housing more than that on occasion. Let’s face it, the county jail is a magnet for a certain set of citizens.

But there was good news, too.

In the same story, which explained that the record high population of prisoners was 124, we also discovered that the county once again has an opportunity to look at the option of purchasing the old Walmart building in Evergreen for use as a new jail.

Last year, the county had offered to buy the Walmart facility and acreage for $2.8 million for possible use as a future expansion of the county jail, but that proposal was rejected because the building’s owner got a better offer from a private developer.

Now, however, it has been revealed that the other deal fell through, leaving the county with a decision to make.

A lot of work went into studying the county’s options in meeting its obligation to provide acceptable housing and facilities for inmates, and the Walmart purchase was deemed the best option as recently as November.

County administrator Mike Pence said at the time, “If that [other] deal didn’t work, I’d assume we’d still” be interested in negotiating. “We had a signed letter of intent, which included the price agreement, and we were working on the buy-sell.”

Well, the other deal didn’t work out, so this may be a golden opportunity for the county.

Overcrowding at the county jail has been an ongoing concern. The commissioners have already created a funding mechanism to set aside money for a jail expansion. In essence, the county is reclaiming mills not levied from past years and earmarking the new tax revenue for a jail expansion. The additional tax money, to be levied over seven years, is expected to generate close to $10 million.

There’s no reason pretending the problem is going to go away, and unless someone can find a cheaper way to house inmates, this may be the county’s best alternative.