Cuyahoga County approves funding for new jail
Cuyahoga County Council voted on Dec. 14 to extend the County’s sales tax to pay for the new jail, set to be built in Garfield Heights.
Taxpayers will pay the County’s 0.25 percent sales tax for an additional 40 years, which local leaders estimate will create enough revenue to fund the construction of the new county jail.
The tax, which was set to expire in 2027, passed Council by a 6-5 vote and will stay on the books until 2067.
The sales tax revenue has funded large downtown projects since 2007, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The vote paves the way for the design and construction of the new correctional facility, which Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary/Business Manager Dave Wondolowski described as an important step.
With funding secured, design and engineering work can begin, which is one step closer to creating an estimated 600 jobs for affiliated area building trades members.
“More than 11 inmates died in the (current jail), partly because of the building, old design and lack of adequate and skilled manpower able to respond to emergencies,” Wondolowski said. “The new jail will be designed to need less manpower and be better suited to today’s detention standards.”
The tax extension will keep Cuyahoga County’s sales tax at 8 percent, the highest in the state.
Council estimates the tax extension will generate roughly $52 million annually, or over $2 billion through 2067. This would provide the county with the funds needed not only to pay for jail construction, but additional future projects.
The extension was brought up back in September when Council decided to locate the new facility in Garfield Heights by voting to purchase a 72-acre plot there for $38.7 million.
County Executive Chris Ronayne and others have openly spoken to the media about using revenue from the county sales tax for the new jail construction.
After being elected in 2022, Ronayne pushed for the jail to be built off Granger Road and Transportation Boulevard in Garfield Heights. The land would allow for the creation of a more humane jail than the existing downtown correctional facility, he said.
“We have a facility right now that is a tower in the sky that isn’t good for anybody,” Ronayne said at the September Council meeting. “It’s not good for those who are in jail; it’s not good for the workers in the jail.”
Wondolowski believes affiliated members of the Cleveland Building Trades will be happy to work on the project in part due to its ideal central location in Cuyahoga County and easy access to I-480.
The project price tag is estimated at $750 million and is expected to be built under a Project Labor Agreement. No official agreement has been announced, as work is not expected to start until 2025.
Wondolowski wants to see residency requirements in any potential PLA to construct the jail and believes language will stipulate that local tradesmen and tradeswomen who have completed or are still enrolled in a registered apprenticeship program will work on a significant portion of the project.