JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – Jackson County commissioners are still discussing how to effectively get a proposal for a county jail on the ballot in the next two years.
In a meeting marked by heated discussion and calls for more community input, the Board of Commissioners voted to table a proposal to establish a special district to fund a new county jail.
This follows a survey by DHM Research, in which results indicated that by including a mental health and addiction treatment facility in addition to the jail, voters would be more inclined to support funding it.
County Administrator Danny Jordan highlighted the need for clarity and direction from the board.
“It wasn’t optimistic to the pollsters. They said ‘no, not at all,’ and that’s why I am asking for a little bit more structure around how we are going to move forward, because people have different views, different opinions, and different bias about the likelihood of this passing. And I would like everybody to be on the same page about it.”
The county can only put forth a ballot measure to fund a jail and not a mental or behavioral health treatment center which would be state funded.
The commissioners are now looking for community engagement going forward.
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