This post is an attempt to gather as many data points as possible related to the issue of Genesee Justice and the county budget. If you can think of anything that's missing, let me know. Bonus points if you can provide the data.
Genesee Justice was founded in 1981 and by 2006, had received about $6.3 million in grants from government agencies and private foundations.
By the time founding Director Dennis Wittman retired in 2006, 4,959 offenders had performed community service, doing 356,858 hours of unpaid work.
The alternative to jail had also saved county taxpayers, as of 2006, more than $5.9 million because those offenders weren't in jail for the 60,000 days they would have served otherwise.
Jay Gsell's budget message indicates that "Continued female jail population management efforts, particularly in collaboration with Orleans and Wyoming counties, may be the only way to stave off radical State Commission of Correction mandates -- up to and including a new 100 to 120 bed county jail. With a $250,000 per bed construction cost ($24 to $28 million), plus increased staffing, (it) would effectively "blow a hole" in the county budget as 100 percent of these increases are county-only burdens."
At the budget hearing, Sheriff Gary Maha said a new jail would cost about $30 million.
The current jail has a capacity for 87 inmates with a variance to allow for 97 inmates, but can't house females. The annual operating budget is about $3 million.
The Genesee County Jail has revenue from housing inmates from other jurisdictions of about $100,000 per year, of which $30,000 to $35,000 comes from housing federal inmates.
The county spends about $250,000 per year housing female inmates in other jails.
Livingston County recently completed a $28 million annex to its existing jail, taking the 90-bed facility to 189 beds. Prior to the expansion, Livingston had to place some inmates in Monroe and Steuben counties. The original jail was built in 1983. The annual operational budget is $4.48 million. Debt payment on the new addition is roughly $2 million over 15 years.
Genesee County Probation Department 2010 amended budget -- $1,028,784; proposed 2011 -- $1,354,464, an increase of $325,680
Genesee Justice 2010 amended budget, $678,477; proposed 2011 budget, $173,588, a decrease of $504,889.
Actual apparent cost savings, $179,209.
The total county budget is $140 million.
The total property tax levy is $24,994,063
The current assessment rate per $1,000 of assessed value is $9.82.
In 2007, the assessment rate was $9.98. In 2006, it was $10.25.
The total value of assessed property in Genesee County is $2,544,134,312.
A one penny increase in the levy would generate $254,000 (decimal place error; actual number is $25,400) in new revenue for the county.
A one penny increase in levy would raise the annual tax assessment on an $80,000 home by 80 cents. A dime assessment would be $8.