Mark Wishes We Had A Solution To The Jail Problem In Billings

So what's the jail solution in Yellowstone County?

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I read the story about it in the Gazette this morning. Billings has outgrown its jail. And according to the story, there were 139 people arrested that the jail had to turn away because there was no room.

Can you really expect to go back to the taxpayers AGAIN for ANOTHER tax increase? And keep in mind that there's already going to be a $143 million ask on the ballot because somebody in our city government seems to think we need an aquatic facility and a couple of ice rinks more than we need a jail. And as dramatically as everybody's property tax appraisals went up, I don't think that any levy is going to pass anytime soon.

And even if we could expand the jail, who's gonna work there. They have been severely understaffed for quite some time already.

Imagine if we had a sales tax instead of a property tax. All those tourists visiting Montana would be contributing to our coffers.

It's a good thing that law enforcement has officers who like living in Montana and dealing with all the criminals are ok with making far less money than they could someplace else.

And taking somebody to jail, then finding out that there's not enough room to lock somebody up, must be very frustrating. And even more so knowing that most of these people are going out and reoffending sooner rather than later.

Next time you see somebody in uniform at Taco Johns, buy them lunch and tell them that you appreciate what they do for our town.