If sales tax hike is dead, how will Shelby County pay for a new jail?
In the face of mounting public scrutiny and numerous inmate deaths, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. has repeatedly called for the necessity of a new jail. Five people have died at Shelby County Jail so far this year, and as many as 61 have died since 2019. (Courtesy Shelby County Sheriff’s Office)
NASHVILLE — A bill proposing a countywide vote on a one-percentage-point increase to the Shelby County sales and use tax failed in a Tennessee House of Representatives committee last week, effectively narrowing the path toward a revenue stream for a new county jail.
The revenue generated from the eight-year sales tax increase, estimated in a fiscal note to be more than $1.8 billion, would have been used exclusively to fund construction of a new Shelby County jail. With the bill’s failure, options for funding the project — widely agreed upon by legislators as necessary despite disputes about priorities and timing — are becoming increasingly limited.
The current facility, also known as 201 Poplar, has been at the center of controversy involving a string of deaths and lawsuits as living conditions in the 44-year-old jail have deteriorated.
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Tennessee General Assembly Shelby County Jail Shelby County Commission Shelby County Sheriff's Office Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
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Benjamin Smith
Benjamin Smith reports on state politics for The Daily Memphian. Ben studied journalism at The University of Alabama and wrote for magazines in Alexander City, Alabama. Ben currently lives in Nashville and enjoys music, basketball and reading.
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