Whatcom County Jail plan facing ‘new reality’ of lower budget as sales taxes dip
Whatcom County is re-evaluating plans for the new county jail amid rising construction costs and a decrease in expected sales tax revenue meant to fund the project.
Last year’s revenue was 9% below projections, Whatcom County Deputy Executive Kayla Schott-Bresler said during a meeting of the Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee, and rising inflation and tariffs mean that even more money will be needed to achieve current plans.
The issue was a major topic of discussion at Bellingham and Whatcom County council meetings last week, with many council members shocked and concerned by what Schott-Bresler called a “new reality.”
Whatcom County councilwoman Kaylee Galloway said her “jaw was on the floor” when she heard the new budget numbers. She wasn’t the only one surprised — or worried about making sacrifices ahead of County Executive Satpal Sidhu’s deadline for a design decision by the end of April.
In a presentation to both councils, Schott-Bresler laid out potential scenarios for the jail’s future based on the new funding constraints. Some prioritized jail capacity, while others carved out dedicated funds for behavioral health treatment and community-based incarceration prevention services.
“If we only get a jail out of this whole thing, the community is going to be super disappointed with us,” Galloway said.
Voters approved a 0.2% tax to help fund the jail in 2023 after rejecting similar measures in 2015 and 2017. It was estimated that the tax will collect some $13 million to $14 million annually, but fell short last year by about $1 million. The tax is meant to allow the county to finance the jail with bonds.
Bellingham City Council member Dan Hammill said in a committee meeting that voters wanted behavioral health and diversion programs to be a major part of the new jail, so the revised plan should still dedicate resources to it. Otherwise, the jail will be “a monument to the past.”
Both Schott-Bresler and council members agreed that it was likely they would need to make changes to the Interlocal Agreement between Whatcom County and all cities within the county about jail financing. She said the county is in the process of meeting with the smaller cities to discuss the issue.
The county is also continuing to solicit community feedback about the future of the justice project. The next engagement event will be at 6 p.m. March 19 at the City Annex Chamber in Lynden.