Last week, members of Kansas City Council's finance committee heard an ordinance to put a renewal of the 1/4th-cent public safety sales tax on the April ballot — which would allow the city to fund the construction of a new rehabilitation and detention center.
Kansas City has been without a municipal jail since 2009, and instead relies on Johnson and Vernon counties to accept and house people.
"The current situation is not sustainable," said 4th District At-Large Councilman Crispin Rea on KCUR's Up To Date.
The city contracts with outside counties to provide 105 beds, but Rea said that means the counties can refuse inmates.
"This impacts our neighborhood, and not only the lack of beds, but also the lack of control," Rea said.
The city is negotiating with Jackson County to purchase land to build its own 250-bed facility adjacent to the Jackson County detention center that's currently under construction. Talks to build a combined jail for the county and city fell apart last year.
Last week's sales tax ordinance was held while Kansas City continues land negotiations with Jackson County.
- Crispin Rea, 4th District At-Large councilman, Kansas City
