LITTLE ROCK, AR - As some drivers in Little Rock pay nearly $40 to fill their gas tanks, the idea of any sort of extra cost in their lives is not popular.

Robert Powell says, “I'm not for any new sales tax or any other tax to build a jail."

But others say there's no other choice.

"If it meant your safety, would you not consider it?” asks Little Rock resident Lynn Smith. “If it affected your safety and the safety of your family would it not be a good reason to pay a little more tax?"

Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines agrees a quarter cent sales tax is the only option. He sits on the Public Safety Task Force which is trying to figure out how to save a failing county jail.

Villines says, "The threat of burglary, the threat of robbery, the threat of physical violence with this situation is real."

Earlier this year, the county closed 250 beds because of budget cuts meaning criminals were sent back out on the streets. Judge Villines says just opening those beds isn't enough because the facility was closed at times in the past because it was at capacity.

"Why would we go back to where we were when where we were wasn't tolerable," he says.

Villines say up to 600 more beds should be built to accommodate future growth and hopefully deter crime.

Little Rock Mayor Jim Dailey says he supports a tax with conditions. He says, “Agreements about keeping the cities out of the jail business forever so we don't have a situation arise like we have in the last few months where the jail is closed to us or our prisoners are turned away."

Members of "County Jail Reform Now,” a citizens group, say a tax increase is just an uncreative way of governing. Group president Shirley Simpson says, “There are a lot of other options out there. Let's look at them before we try taxing everybody."

Those options include charging more for county services to generate money and paying to send non-violent criminals to privately owned lock downs. Judge Villines says those just aren't viable options. The group also says the county should lobby the state legislature for more money. They county says it's done that every legislative session without success.

The task force did not make a decision Wednesday night. They'll take it up again at next week's meeting.