Taylor Town Manager Eric Duthie, Vice Mayor Jordy Fuentes and Town Attorney Sterling Solomon joined officials of other Navajo County cities and towns, as well as the county, last month at a meeting regarding jail fees.
“What came from that meeting was the county’s reluctance to even consider a jail district,” Duthie advised council members April 7.
Even so, at the April 26 Board of Supervisors meeting, county staff will be asked put together an exploratory committee regarding forming a jail district.
“Something important we need to be aware of is not every city and town in Navajo County is in agreement with us, and there is one city that has already signed an agreement” with Navajo County for jail fees, said the town manager.
Duthie said he felt they should be careful in relying on the numbers provided by the county, because they showed bookings were almost double the numbers provided by the Snowflake-Taylor Police Department.
Duthie noted that he had asked why a resident of an unincorporated area is given a break when an incorporated resident has to pay more. “That question wasn’t answered,” he said.
When he asked what would happen if a town was in arrears in its payment of jail fees and what the consequences would be, the county provided a legal opinion, which said in the closing paragraph that if cities and towns are in arrears and an officer brings an inmate in to be booked, the remedy for that is that the county can sue the town or city.
Solomon pointed out that this would be for cases cited in the magistrate court.
“I’m not sure where this leads us, other than there is going to be an exploratory committee to go to the people right now rather than in three years regarding forming a jail district,” said Duthie.
