So what's this tax really for?

Everyone knows of it as the "jail tax." But what is it really?

County Commissioner David Pepper argues that a proposed income tax increase, that could be before voters as early as August, is about much more than just a jail.

"The actual proposal will include putting police on street, and programs to avoid re-entry," Pepper said.

It will also, of course, include the construction of a new 1,800-bed jail, he said. But his point is this: this tax will be about a comprehensive approach to fixing the overcrowding problem, not just building a better warehouse.

Pepper believes voters defeated an income tax levy in November because it dealt only with the jail. He hopes the difference in the next proposal -- the fact that it will be a comprehensive approach to solving the problem -- will also make the difference at the polls.

"Just building a jail will not make us safer," he said. "But a program that diverts prisoners, houses more inmates, and puts police on the streets, will."