Cleveland agrees to higher jail fee after standoff with county

Flashback: The city closed its jail in 2018 and transferred responsibilities to the county, saving millions in the process.

Zoom in: The current city legislation amends the original 2017 jail agreement.

• It updates the per diem rate for inmates in 2026 and stipulates 2.5% annual increases thereafter.

Between the lines: Additional provisions mandate that most felony and misdemeanor charging decisions be made within 12 hours, not the current 36.

By the numbers: Even under the new $143 rate, the city's annual cost is projected to increase by only about $174,000 due to the shorter average length of detention, law director Mark Griffin told council in a committee meeting Wednesday.

• The new rate is still well below the county's estimated $236-per-day cost.

What they're saying: County Executive Chris Ronayne told Axios earlier this year that securing the new rate was a priority for him, as he worked to "right-course" elements of the Armond Budish administration.

• "We need to do what's right for the taxpayers at large in terms of getting from the city what is necessary to do our business at full efficiency and operational expectations."