Jeff Davis Parish voters will decide on Saturday, Nov. 18 whether to renew a parishwide regional jail maintenance sales tax that helps maintain operations at the Jeff Davis Parish Regional Jail.

The 10-year, half-cent sales tax is the same rate initially approved by voters in May 2014. It is expected to generate about $3.3 million annually for continued maintenance and operations of the facility which was completed in 2019. The new facility holds just over three times the capacity of the former jail, which was built in 1964 and held 62 inmates.

“The state mandates that the Police Jury provide a jail to house those individuals awaiting trial for criminal offenses, but does not provide a funding mechanism for these coats,” Police Jury President Steve Eastman said. “The Police Jury does not have any other source of funds to operate the jail. It is imperative that the tax pass.”

Costs of maintaining the jail include, but are not limited to, inmates’ meals, clothing, medical needs and bedding. Costs covered by the tax also include repairs and updates to the building, he said.

Costs of operating the jail include the staffing, supervision and other costs of safely running the jail on a day-to-day basis, all of which is overseen by the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The tax, which has been in place since voters approved it in 2014, is set to expire in June 2024.