ATTENTION !! OVERTAXED Blount County TAXPAYER the TAX SPENDERS are Targeting your wallet. The Blount Corrections Committee who’s mission is to solve the risky,inhumane overcrowded Blount County Jail is about to loose it’s certification because of the committee’s failure to address the reasonable alternatives presented by the $95,000 study done by nationally recognized, Institute of Law and Policy Planning recommendations. The Chairman Jeff Headrick held only 4 meetings in the last calendar year while the Tn.Corrections Bureau was inspecting the jail to discover what improvement had been made over the last two years since it conditionally re-certified the jail because we had contracted with the Institute for Law and Policy Planning to make recommendations to relieve the overcrowding. However instead of questioning the author of the study Chairman Headrick it appears did everything possible to avoid questioning the study in hopes that perhaps it would go away. To the degree that the committee requested the TN Corrections Institute review the Institute of Law and Policy Plannings study to learn that only minor points could be criticized and for the most part it was agreed with. It was at this meeting where the Director of the Tn. Corrections Bureau Bob Bass told Commissioner Monroe and myself that “THE STATE WAS GOING TO SOLVE THE OVERCROWDING PROBLEMS IN ALL COUNTY JAILS BY OPENING TWO NEW PRISONS IN THE STATE, A 8000 BED FACILITY IN TRUSDALE COUNTY FOR MEN AND A WOMEN’S FACILITY WITH 2400 BEDS IN SHELBY COUNTY.” This reporter reported this conversation to the Blount County Commission 4/12/16 in it’s Agenda Committee meeting where the Special called Commission had been announced for 4/18/16 to vote on a resolution to hire an architect to present a building plan to relieve Blount County’s overcrowded jail. Now because of the Committee’s squandering the time it had to implement the Institute for Law and Policy Planning the Tn Corrections Bureau has found that Blount County’s Jail is in the same overcrowded condition it has been for almost 10 years. This certainly gives this reporter plenty of reason’s not to vote for Commissioner Jeff Headrick for Highway Superintendent. Blount County’s Credit rating went down in 2008 because we had to high a debt service to income ratio to refinance the Variable Rate Bonds that were called, and are still callable, but with the 27% Sales Tax increase of two years ago and the 17% Property Tax increase last year, Mayor Mitchel must figure we can borrow another $60 Million to build our way out of having to loose our jail certification and or reduce the inhuman and unconstitutional policies he, the Sheriff, and Blount County’s cadre of Judges perpetuate. Now a TAXPAYERS bailout is being voted on Monday April 18 at 5pm in the Blount County commission meeting room. What incredible timing the week your Federal Taxes are due your County Commission is voting to raise your County debt service with an Architect’s RFP to build a $60 Million solution and potentially raise YOUR COUNTY DEBT SERVICE BY 30%. YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER’S CONTACT INFORMATION CAN BE GOTTEN BY CALLING 273-5830 OT GO TO www.blounttn.org search elected officials.
