Barron to speak at Pachyderm Club
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POLSON — When Lake County Commissioner Bill Barron speaks to the Lake County Pachyderm Club on Friday, Sept. 9, he will be talking about the impact the reappraisal of the property value of Shelter Island has had on the Lake County budget. The reappraisal lowered the valuation from $30- $60 million to $18 million, possibly losing twice the valuation of Kerr Dam in taxes.
Barron will also discuss Public Law 280 and its cost to Lake County taxpayers. Public Law 280 obligates Lake County to house tribal members in the Lake County jail. Sixty percent of jail inmates are tribal members which costs taxpayers $2 million per year. Also, because of overcrowding, Lake County has been ordered by the court to build a new jail. One solution would be for federal government, state, and/or Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes to step forward and assist the local taxpayers with these costs. Another option would be for Lake County to walk away from Public Law 280. Without Public Law 280 a convicted tribal member would be sentenced to serve time at a federal facility out of state. Thus, visitation is more costly for family members.
Anyone interested in learning more about these current issues is welcome to attend the meeting which will begin at noon on Friday, Sept. 9, and adjourn at 1 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Rural Fire Dept. Building on Regatta Road, Polson.
