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Jail costs, new criminal court driving Travis County tax hikes

From news reports I've seen, most jurisdictions in the state currently contemplating property tax increases are doing so to pay for pretrial detention at overcrowded jails and staffing overbuilt detention centers. Here in Austin, I've already discussed how the city budget has become bloated with public safety costs, and today the Statesman brings word that Travis County, too, will likely raise taxes to pay for mostly criminal justice related expenses:The increase would pay mainly for a new county criminal court, increased fuel costs, a 3 percent pay raise for most county employees and 31 corrections officers to staff a new detention building at the Del Valle Correctional Complex.Anti-tax activists in Texas for years have focused their ire on the "Robin Hood" school finance scheme and rising property taxes at public schools...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on July 30, 2008 (boomark / email).