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| Editorial: State needs to reimburse local jails |
| By The Muskegon Chronicle |
| Published: 03/10/2009 |
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MI- Once again, the state has shifted some of its budget problems onto local government. And again we ask: where are our elected state representatives? They need to prevent state agencies from plundering local budgets because they've run out of money. Earlier this month, Muskegon schools raised concerns about the Department of Education passing along some costs to local school districts associated with the required MEAP test, the state assessment program. Muskegon school officials believe that action was a direct violation of the Headlee Amendment, which prohibits state government from requiring local governments to take on new responsibilities without providing the funding. Now, it appears the cash-strapped Department of Corrections has shifted some of its budget problems to county jails by withholding the $43.50 per day per prisoner the state agreed to pay those counties willing to incarcerate nonviolent criminals, who normally would be sent to state prison. At least 50 county jails are owed money for 2008 expenses including Muskegon, $20,000; Oceana, $12,702; and Ottawa, $14,224. The Corrections Department is in a bind. It exceeded its $13.2 million budget for the county jail housing program by $950,000. But should it be able to balance its budget on the backs of local sheriff department budgets?Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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