Public hearings set on the jail -- but where?

UPDATE BELOW
Two public hearings that could pave the way for a Hamilton County sales tax to pay for a new jail have been set, but the commissioners are arguing over where the meetings will be held.

County Administrator Patrick Thompson has set meetings for:

. Monday, Aug. 7 , 6:30 p.m., Sycamore Township Hall, 8540 Kenwood Road;

. Monday, Aug. 14, 6:30 p.m., Westwood Presbyterian Church, 3011 Harrison Ave.

Commissioner Phil Heimlich supports those locations but Commissioner Pat DeWine sent a Monday e-mail to Thompson to ask that they be held at the downtown County Administration Building.

Commissioner Todd Portune doesn't like any of thos locations, saying they are neither convenient nor centrally located for those wishing to attend. Portune wants them held at the Drake Center Inc. in Hartwell and Sharonville's Convention Center.

The public hearings are needed by law if commissioners want to meet an Aug. 24 deadline to put issues on the fall ballot.

Heimlich, who is seeking re-election against Democratic challenger David Pepper, proposed last month that Hamilton County increase its sales tax a quarter-cent to 6.75 percent. That would raise enough money over the next 20 years, Heimlich said, to pay for a new 1,800-bed, $225 million jail and provide property tax relief.

Heimlich insists the public make the decision on taxing itself, so he wants the issue on the ballot. The only way it can get there is by the public hearing process and a majority of commissioners agree before the Aug. 24 deadline.

The public hearings are scheduled even though it now doesn’t have enough votes to get on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Republican Heimlich supports the proposed sales tax increase. Fellow Republican DeWine doesn’t.

DeWine’s proposal calls for building a smaller jail, to be paid for by selling county land and spending cuts, and renovation of existing jails.

Portune, in the past, proposed paying for a new jail with proceeds from casino proceeds -- if casino gambling is adopted by Ohio voters.

Thompson even has his own proposal – raising the sales tax a quarter-cent for seven – maybe eight – years to pay for the jail, forgoing any property tax rollback.