The Board of Supervisors approved language for a bond referendum for this November's ballot for a new Jail this morning... to the tune of $48.1 million. It'll be top of the list of local issues this November and I don't think it has a chance in hell of passing.
I don't know... I could be wrong. Sheriff Pulkrabek managed to get the JECC established even though everyone with a lick of sense knew that consolidating dispatch centers is never cheap, it's always messy and it's always a gigantic pain in the ass. JECC's had growing pains but seems to be turning a corner pretty solidly at this point- (despite the fact they can't keep a director and the Board of Supervisors is engaged in a tug of war with their Policy Board about a variety of budget issues) but I think a lot of people tracking the issue aren't going to be in the mood to dish out $48 million for a new jail.
Then there's the wonderfully productive relationship Johnson County has with it's Law Enforcement agencies- a wide swathe of the population dislikes the po-po with a passion- and I mean beyond the usual, 'aw, shit man it's the cops' kind of attitude. (I get that cops aren't always the favorites of people in general.)
When you combine that with the bad aftertaste from setting up the JECC, I doubt people will be in the mood to finally divvy up for a new jail. It didn't work last time and I'm not betting heavily that it'll work this time.
But will I vote for it? I will. Why? Because we have a ridiculously small jail- and we genuinely do need a new one. I'm not wild about it but it's time. We gotta bite the bullet and get this done.
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