WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County will soon decide on an initial budget for its new jail as the design phase of the project nears.
The county council is considering a resolution at its meeting on Tuesday, April 28, that sets a preliminary budget for the project.
If approved, it would cap spending at $205 million for the jail and $20 million for the behavioral care center, though neither is expected to be the final number.
The resolution reaffirms the county and cities’ commitment to using at least half of revenue from the Justice Project sales tax by 2030 to fund services aimed at reducing incarceration.
It also states that the jail’s capacity will be based on a forecast of roughly 420 adjusted beds needed by 2030, which is lower than previous estimates.
The adjusted figure accounts for reduced length of stay and other factors that could result from the county’s incarceration reduction efforts.
Discussions on the resolution will take place during a committee meeting at 1 p.m. on Tuesday and the council’s regular meeting at 6 p.m.
