LANCASTER - Gamblers may end up paying for a new lockup in one central Ohio county.
Counties around the state are beginning to receive their first payouts from casino-tax revenue. And The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that Fairfield County, southeast of Columbus, could use its share to help build a much-needed new jail.
A new jail has been discussed for about a decade in the county of about 147,000 residents, where the surge in inmates has kept the facility overcrowded. County commissioners are scheduled to discuss the casino-tax funding idea Oct. 4.
The first quarterly payouts from the state began arriving early last month, leading to discussions in many counties about how to spend the money.
Trumbull County is using its share to purchase new vehicles for the sheriff's office and other capital projects. Mahoning County officials have said its money would be put in a special revenue fund in the general fund budget. Some of it also might be set aside for capital improvements or pay down debt.