WALDRON, Ark. -- Scott County's Quorum Court voted down a measure to present a half-cent sales tax increase to voters to pay for operating and maintenance costs at its new jail.

Scott County Jail Unused

"I don't think there is any person that sits on the quorum court that will deny that we need a jail," said Scott County Sheriff Cody Carpenter. "It's just a funding issue that there not agreed on yet."

Two years ago, residents approved building the jail with a 30 year, $6 million bond, but since then residents have twice voted down sales tax increases to go toward operations and maintenance costs.

The county said it would cost $660,000 annually to operate the jail, down from a previous estimate of $770,000.

Some residents said passing a sales tax increase is the only way to get the facility up and running.

"We're going to let a good building sit and deteriorate while we twiddle our thumbs and wait for someone to come along and say ill fund that for you," said Waldron resident Gerald Oakes. "It's not going to happen."

Others said the 76-bed detention center is too big and costly.

"I wasn't in favor of this large of a jail to begin with," said Scott County Resident Billy Ray Lovett. "If it would have been more to the scale of what fits the county here I would have been more for it."

County officials said they are working to reach a compromise to get a sales tax increase on the ballot in November.