County may see increase in jail revenue

Money hinges on agreement between Sheriff’s Office, feds

BENTONVILLE — Benton County may be able to generate nearly $1 million if the Sheriff’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies agree on housing federal prisoners in the county jail.

Sheriff Shawn Holloway told the Quorum Court Thursday night his office has been contacting federal authorities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshal’s Service, and will be joining a number of federal task forces. In the course of those talks, Holloway said, the prospect of housing more federal prisoners in the jail was raised. Holloway said the federal agencies indicated they could pay the county up to $75 per day and he said the county could have space for as many as 75 federal prisoners, including some women prisoners in the newly expanded H Pod at the jail.

“That would be from $800,000 to $1 million in revenue we’re not getting right now,” Holloway said.

Holloway said most of the federal prisoners housed in the jail are Immigration and Custom Enforcement

detainees who are only shortterm prisoners.

“We only hold them for 24 hours or until they can take them to immigration court,” he said.

Holloway told the justices of the peace he’ll bring them more information as the situation develops.

Also Thursday, the justices of the peace approved asking the state to pay part of the cost of buying voting equipment.

The Quorum Court declared it’s intent to seek about $1.2 million in state money to help buy new voting machines, ballot counters, printers and other election equipment.

“We ought to try to get these machines and get as much state help as we can get,” Tom Allen, justice of the peace for District 4, said during the meeting.

Election officials have said the cost for new equipment is about $2.3 million. State money, if available, could cover half that cost. County Judge Barry Moehring and other officials received a letter from the secretary of state’s office earlier this month indicating up to $5 million may be made available from the governor’s office and another $1 million from the secretary of state’s office to assist buying new voting equipment.

Kim Dennison, election coordinator, said the Secretary of State’s Office has since allocated the $1 million it had available to Faulkner and Miller counties. She said, to her knowledge, no other counties have asked for any of the $5 million that may still be made available.

“We are the only one that I know of,” she said.

Arkansas has approved using new voting machines and other equipment from Election Systems & Software to replace equipment bought from ES&S more than a decade ago. Several counties, including Washington County, were provided new equipment last year in a “pilot program” while the state evaluated the new systems.

Dennison said Benton County needs 475 voting machines with kiosks and 65 vote-counting machines, along with printers, software and other equipment and supplies. The county now has 468 working voting machines and needs the number being sought to continue to operate the 44 vote centers and early vote locations open for the November general election, Dennison said. The new equipment and the older equipment aren’t compatible, and the new equipment can’t be phased in while the county continues to use the older machines, Dennison said.

County Clerk Tena O’Brien urged justices of the peace to support the purchase. She also asked the justices of the peace to contact local legislators and the Secretary of State’s Office in support of the county’s request.

“I would strongly encourage you to consider the funding for the machines because it’s for the voters of Benton County,” she said.