Kent County voters will consider renewing and increasing the county's Corrections and Detention Millage through 2045. The current voter authorization was 0.84 mill but has been reduced by Headlee rollbacks to a 2026 certified rate of 0.7332 mill. The proposal would authorize 0.98 mill and is estimated to raise about $37.33 million in its first year. Revenue supports adult and juvenile custody, centralized booking, transport, medical and behavioral-health care, substance-use treatment, programming, maintenance, capital improvements, and debt service. Current millage revenue covers only part of the corrections system's total cost. The jail and juvenile system operates every day whether the county funds it through a dedicated millage or the General Fund. The question is how much tax capacity should be locked into this function for twenty years and what services residents expect that commitment to buy.
What level of dedicated property-tax support should Kent County provide for corrections and detention over the next 20 years?