Tulsa City Council action Wednesday may finally resolve the years-long dispute with Tulsa County over jail costs.
"Why no headlines of quarrels between Broken Arrow and the county over the jail? Why no high-profile rate hikes for Owasso or Sand Springs? Well, the difference is that each of those communities operates their own lockup facilities for their municipal inmates," said Mayor G.T. Bynum.
Councilors approved Bynum's proposal to spend more than $550,000 to renovate the downtown court holding facility to hold people arrested solely on municipal charges, typically things like public intoxication or driving without a license or without insurance.
The holding facility is in the police and municipal courts building west of the Tulsa County courthouse. In order for the holding facility to meet standards for use as a jail, it needs beds, showers, a kitchen and other improvements. Then, the city could hold them for up to 10 days.
Including 16 detention officers under the Tulsa Police Department and two supervisors, the city lockup will cost around $1.2 million a year to run, but that's less than what a rate county commissioners imposed last week would cost. City officials estimate the daily rate of $69 per inmate county commissioners approved last week will cost $1.4 million a year.
Councilors also approved Wednesday an agreement for Okmulgee County to house municipal inmates in its jail at a rate of $48 a day. Bynum said despite some rumors, that's only in the case the city lockup exceeds its 30 inmate capacity.
"No one's pulling buses up outside David L. Moss at midnight tonight to pull our city inmates out. That's a ridiculous assertion," Bynum said.
The city council approved each item constituting Bynum's proposal on an 8–0 vote. District 2 Councilor Jeannie Cue was not present.
"This is a prime example of a business decision, and I'm proud of you," Councilor David Patrick told Bynum.
Bynum said over the course of eight months of negotiations with Commissioner Ron Peters, he offered to pay what the county asked for city inmates if it were clearly accounted for.
Sheriff Vic Regalado disputes the assertion the county's $69 rate wasn't backed up.
"The city can come in — again — check our books, see where their money is going, ask for anything, and we will provide it," Regalado said.
Once the city lockup is open, people arrested in Tulsa on state or federal charges or on a combination of charges will still go to the Tulsa County Jail. The difference is they'll first be processed at the city lockup on any municipal charges.
The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office currently uses free of charge the court holding facility for dozens of their inmates appearing in court each day. Bynum said that will continue for a month.
