Letter: Who is driving Wabasha County?

To the Editor:

I read with interest the Wabasha County Board proceedings, particularly the statement by Assistant County Attorney Lisa Bayley with regard to the courts system.

Statutory obligations have to be met. She said the chief justice has said that he would close down the court if a new Wabasha County facility is not opened.

That just might be a great savings to the Wabasha County residents.

Just think, a whole new courthouse would become available for all the departments, not just two. We’d only need a couple of offices for the county attorney and his minions. The remainder — with a small amount (albeit) redecoration — could easily become the new Wabasha County Courthouse and Social Services and all other departments combined building.

Bayley also stated, “While there may be empty beds at first, that won’t always be the case.” Bayley continued, “There may be lower jail costs now, but realistically the numbers will be coming up, we can’t have an empty jail sitting there, hoping the numbers will come up. They will (come up) and we have to be ready when they do.”

Unless there is a program like deferred sentencing, the jail population growth is just a mere shot in the dark. The planners were wrong with the numbers from the onset.

Just remember one thing, it is the vote of your county commissioner that financially obligates you to increased taxes, not the fine-tuned self-serving parsed statements of an assistant county attorney.

Look up the laws that govern the county yourself. Have you ever noticed that the specifics are seldom provided?

Prove what you say, Ms. Bayley.

Her vote counts in financial matters in the city of Red Wing, not Wabasha County.

Who is driving Wabasha County’s ship of state?

Mark Krage

Lake City

Tags: opinion, wabasha, county, board