Rick's Blog

County Jail: Feeding the Beast

Escambia County’s property tax revenues have risen $17.96 million over the past four years – a 20.2-percent increase.

Why don’t you feel any benefit from that significant increase? You only have to examine the detention budget and see where $11.8 million has been swallowed up. While ad valorem tax revenue is up 20.2 percent, detention costs are up 41-percent from FY 2014.

 Ad Valorem Tax Revenue
Increase
FY 2014 Actual $88,794,048
FY 2015 Actual $91,231,917 $2,437,869 2.7%
FY 2016 Actual $93,171,277 $1,939,360 2.1%
FY 2017 Adopted $102,050,246 $8,878,969 9.5%
FY 2018 Estimate $106,756,191 $4,705,945 4.6%
$17,962,143 20.2%

Here is the comparison of the proposed FY 2014  jail budget for the county’s FY 2018 proposal:

FY 2014 FY 2018
Salaries
Detention  $26,401,457
Medical  $3,719,536
Subtotal  $24,569,038  $30,120,993  $5,551,955
Professional Services
Detention  $4,510
Medical  $2,183,239
Subtotal  $1,240,361  $2,187,749  $947,388
Other Contractual Services
Detention  $6,300,551
Medical  $72,636
Subtotal  $1,994,584  $6,373,187  $4,378,603
Communications
Detention  $14,699
Medical  $7,308
Subtotal  $-  $22,007  $22,007
Postage Freight
Detention  $1,579
Medical  $-
Subtotal  $-  $1,579  $1,579
Utility Services
Detention  $165
Medical  $-
Subtotal  $-  $165  $165
Rentals & Leases
Detention  $27,468
Medical  $-
Subtotal  $3,888  $27,468  $23,580
Insurance
Detention  $-
Medical  $-
Subtotal  $111,085  $-  $(111,085)
Repairs & Maintenance
Detention  $69,885
Medical  $17,500
Subtotal  $13,034  $87,385  $74,351
Other Charges
Detention  $-
Medical  $173
Subtotal  $-  $173  $173
Office Supplies
Detention  $67,500
Medical  $10,000
Subtotal  $-  $77,500  $77,500
Operating Supplies
Detention  $182,285
Medical  $1,712,109
Subtotal  $981,133  $1,894,394  $913,261
Subscriptions
Detention  $252  $252
Medical  $-
Subtotal  $-  $252
Total  $28,913,123  $40,792,852  $11,879,477
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