Jeff Balentine, Minot
I am supporting the half-cent sales tax to build badly needed office and jail space. As a former chief of police I have walked the courthouse and know firsthand the overcrowding and inadequate office space the courthouse currently provides for employees. I recently spoke to Sheriff Steve Kukowski and they had 117 prisoners in a 104-bed facility. This past weekend they booked into the jail 54 persons. They have been releasing persons arrested for crimes on their promise to appear when they should be in jail awaiting their court appearance before a judge because they have no space available to house them. This is not making Minot and Ward County safer as our population continues to grow. I believe the half-cent sales tax along with state grants is the best way to build a courthouse and jail for our county.