The City of Richmond wants to end its participation in a regional jail in Caroline County — a move that could save Richmond taxpayers at least $1.2 million a year.

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones on Monday presented a paper asking City Council to approve the city’s withdrawal from the Peumansend Creek Regional Jail Authority.

The council would need to pass a resolution prior to Sept. 1 so that the city could provide the required notice to withdraw effective July 1, 2017.

On Tuesday, City Council’s Public Safety Committee recommended approval, according to committee Chair Reva M. Trammell, 8th District, and sent the request to the full council for approval at the next meeting Monday, July 25.

If approved, Richmond would join Prince William County, Arlington and Alexandria in pulling out of the regional jail partnership that dates to 1992.

Richmond became a partner at a time when crime was rising and its own decaying jail was severely overcrowded.

Unable to find partners with neighboring counties to build a regional jail, and with the city financially unable to build a new jail, then-City Manager Robert C. Bobb teamed up with the city of Alexandria, and Arlington, Caroline, Loudoun and Prince William counties to create the jail authority.

It took until 1999 for the $27 million, 336-bed facility to get built. The state paid half the cost, and the six partners shared in paying the rest.

Richmond paid for 100 beds at the facility, which meant the city picked up about $4 million of the construction cost and was obligated to pay about 30 percent of the annual operating costs, according to city and state documents.

Richmond couldn’t always fill the 100 beds it contracted for, but often leased its spaces to the other partners. In 2007, it leased all the beds and didn’t pay any operating costs, according to the city budget at the time.

But with the downturn in crime in recent years, leasing bed space has become harder. Moreover, after Richmond built its new jail, Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. and other officials have been more interested in creating programs to divert people from being locked up than in using the cells in Caroline County.

Ms. Trammell said Sheriff Woody told the committee the beds in Caroline County no longer are needed.

Staying in the authority also would be more expensive now that the three other localities have decided to pull out. According to the agreement, Richmond would have to pay a larger share of the operating costs if it remains a member.