The main sticking point has been whether the city should begin paying a direct fee to house its inmates in the Tulsa Jail and, if so, how much.  The haggling began in March 2008, when the county first proposed that the city begin paying $54.13 per inmate per day to house its inmates in the jail.   Under the former agreement, which expired Nov. 30, the city paid no direct fee to house as many as 116 municipal inmates a day in the jail. In return, the city provided certain assets and services to the county for a nominal fee or at no cost …

County officials have argued that a direct fee is necessary because of the rising cost of maintaining and refurbishing the jail.  In addition, they say, the assets and services provided by the city under the old agreement have no current value to the Tulsa County Criminal Justice Authority, which oversees operation of the jail.

The city-county jail agreement expired November 30th after months of negotiations that included two months of mediation.  The main sticking point has been whether the city should begin paying a direct fee to house inmates in the jail.

In the continuing tussle between the city of Tulsa and the Tulsa County Jail, Mayor Kathy Taylor has made a “final offer”.

The city wants to keep up to 35 inmates in the jail daily at no cost in consideration for the $17.5 million that is generated annually within the city limits by the permanent jail sales tax, according to a copy of the three-page offer obtained through the state’s Open Records Act. That’s based on a rate of one inmate per $500,000.   Under the previous contract, which expired at the end of November, the city could keep up to 116 inmates in the jail daily at no cost.  The settlement offer specifies that if the average daily number of municipal inmates over a one-year period exceeds 35, the city would pay the county the same daily rate per inmate as the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. That rate is set by the state Legislature and is $27.  The proposed agreement would be for a 10-year term.

The county has locked in on a $54.13 daily fee for all municipal inmates to help cover increased costs. Tulsa is the only municipality that uses the jail … Commissioner John Smaligo declined to discuss the offer at length. “We’re going to review it over the weekend and possibly have a counterproposal ready by Monday,” he said.

Also part of the proposed settlement, the city would agree to assume full responsibility for medical expenses for any municipal inmates not covered by the contract between the county and its health care provider.  In addition, the county could continue to use at no charge portions of the Tulsa Police/Municipal Courts building as a holding area for inmates being transferred to and from the Tulsa County Courthouse and the city facility that the county uses as the Juvenile Detention Center. The county also could continue to use the Lakeside Home at the token rate of $1 per year …

Since the jail opened its doors in 1998, the city has paid no direct fee to house inmates there. Instead, it has provided the use of certain facilities and services to the county free of charge.  City officials argue that it was made clear at the time the jail tax was passed by voters in 1995 that the city would not be required to pay a direct fee. They also maintain that Tulsans pay the majority of the county sales taxes dedicated to jail operations and maintenance.

Read the entire article at Tulsa World.

On November 30^th, the 10-year contract between the city and county for operating the county jail will come to an end.  And if no new contract is reached, the county may start charging the city a flat rate for each inmate. But city leaders are balking at the proposed rate – $54 per inmate per day, translating into $1.6 million a year.  That’s on top of a portion of sales tax revenue the county already gets from the city.  That would remain in place regardless of a new contract.

“Sheriff Glanz said he could operate the jail for $39 a day per inmate.  I don’t know where they get $54,” says City Councilor Rick Westcott. “That’s simply the rate we set based on a formula we use for Federal inmates,” responds County Commissioner John Smaligo. Smaligo says the jail needs more money than it’s currently getting to offset the cost of housing city inmates. “It’s not that we’re trying to make money off the city,” says Smaligo.  “On the contrary, we’re trying to offset the costs.”

While Smaligo says the rate is negotiable, Councilor Rick Westcott does not think it’s accurate because city inmates don’t receive the same services county inmates receive, because they are typically not there as long. “If $54 is a number the Federal government has arrived at for federal prisoners, that’s fine.  But let’s be realistic.  What are the county’s costs?  What does it cost them to house a municipal prisoner?  And it’s not $54,” says Westcott.

But if a new agreement isn’t reached by Sunday night, there is word the city and county could end up suing each other, costing more money for taxpayers. “In my opinion, a lawsuit is a big mistake,” says Westcott.  “It shouldn’t go to that.  In essence, that’s the citizens suing themselves.” City and county leaders plan on working through the weekend to agree on terms of a new contract.  They say another extension is unlikely.  That means, if no new contract is reached, the city may have to come up with the money to pay for its portion of the inmates.    Despite the disagreement, city and county officials say public safety will not be jeopardized and the jail will continue to house city inmates.

The Sheriff’s Office as recently as last week warned that inmate medical costs could have a devastating effect on county budgets statewide. Under state law, jail operators are responsible for inmates’ medical care for illnesses contracted in the jail. The Sheriff’s Office paid more than $4 million to provide such services in the last fiscal year. But sheriff’s officials say it is another state statute — one that gives first-payer status to jail operators — that creates the real financial burden for jails. As first-payers, jail operators are liable for inmate medical costs related to pre-exist- ing conditions when the inmate cannot pay the bill; in addition, such status makes jail operators ineligible for Medicaid reimbursement for emergency care provided to Department of Corrections inmates, officials say. The Sheriff’s Office has spent $589,000 so far this fiscal year for medical expenses incurred outside of the jail.

But they still haven’t paid enough to stop two local hospitals filing a lawsuit against Sheriff Stanley Glanz and the Tulsa County Commission seeking nearly $650,000 in unpaid inmate medical bills. Read more from the Tulsa World.