A proposal to make cities and counties pay to house inmates after they are arrested is a good try, but not the answer to Rock Island County's financial woes.
That, according to Milan City Administrator Steve Seiver, who says he understands the need to try and generate more money for the county, but not when it shifts the burden from the county to municipalities.
"Just as the State of Illinois is looking to balance some of its budget woes on the backs of local government and other agencies, this has those same kinds of flaws built into it. We simply don't have the money", he said.
The county is trying to plug a projected 4.5 million dollar budget gap, and at this point, is looking at several potential options on the table.
New County Administrator Dave Ross said charging a fee of about $34.00 per day per inmate would generate more than $3.3 million dollars for the county.
Rock Island County Sheriff Gerry Bustos says the idea to charge a jail housing fee is "unrealistic".
"I don't think for a moment one of our cities is going to pay that much per day to house prisoners", he said.
Another plan on the table that would impact the Sheriff is a suggestion to try and cut another $280,000 from his budget
Sheriff Bustos says he is trimming where he can.
"Right now, of the squad cars I have, 63 percent of them have over 100-thousand miles. If we have to give up things, I'm willing to do that, but I'm not willing to give up people", he said.