Budget shortfalls are a growing concern for Minnehaha County.   Income has been lost due to criminal activity.  Commissioner Jeff Barth says more local criminals need to be housed in jail cells, the cells that used to be rented out to other government agencies for one million dollars annually.

Commissioner Cindy Heiberger says final budget numbers are coming in and the real number crunching starts in early June. She also says there’s not a lot to cut from to ease spending.

Two major contributors are a part of the increased number of overnight stays in jail: mental health and alcohol/substance abuse issues.  Although developing alternative treatments for these issues would be ideal, the need for making up of the income is immediate.

Barth says property taxes are already high enough and some think they're already too high.  Another option would be to enact an Alcohol Tax to bolster income.

The next county commission meeting is Tuesday June 2, 2015 at 9:00 AM.

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