Local
Oklahoma County voters weigh 0.4% tax as jail estimate reaches $800 million
A proposed sales tax would help close a funding gap for the new county jail and support jail and behavioral health operations. At a downtown Oklahoma City town hall, residents questioned the rising cost and whether county officials have a clear plan for spending the money.
Oklahoma County residents gathered Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library to discuss a proposed 0.4% sales tax that voters are scheduled to decide on Nov. 3. County officials say the tax would help cover a construction funding gap and pay for operations at the jail and a behavioral health center.
The county approved $260 million for a new jail, but estimates have since climbed as high as $800 million. The Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 in August to put the four-tenths-of-a-percent tax proposal before voters.
C.J. Webber Neal, CEO of the Neal Center for Justice, which organized the town hall, said the meeting was intended to give residents a chance to hear information and express their views. The organization has not taken a position on the tax, Webber Neal said, but wants county officials to account for the money already approved and explain publicly how additional revenue would be used.
County Assessor Larry Stein attributed the project’s rising costs to inflation, saying the original bond funding was expected to pay for the first phase. He also said the county does not have a countywide sales tax dedicated to jail operations and maintenance and is facing a shrinking budget.
Some residents said they were not persuaded that voters should approve more funding. Christopher Johnston, a northeast Oklahoma City resident, said he opposes the measure and believes county officials should address jail management first. He said he did not see a substantive plan for the proposal.
The funding debate comes as the Neal Center for Justice and the Sooner State Party have announced plans to seek a citizen grand jury to examine the jail project. Webber Neal said organizers had prepared a petition but were holding off on filing it while seeking more information from county officials. A petition may not be needed, she said, if officials provide a full explanation and make the information public.