Sheriff, municipal judge brief council on proposed renewal of jail levy (Measure 5304); officials warn of service disruptions if it fails

Sheriff Pixley and Judge Amy Lindgren appeared at the St. Helens City Council work session on April 2 to describe a county request to renew an existing jail levy at the same rate of 58¢ per $1,000 and to explain potential operational consequences if the measure does not pass.

The presenters said the levy is a status‑quo request and that without it the county faces the real possibility of closing the local jail. "We're asking voters to renew the existing jail levy at the same rate of 58¢ per thousand," Sheriff Pixley said. Judge Lindgren told the council that, without local jail capacity, the municipal court would not be able to process criminal cases in the same way: "I don't see how the municipal court can process criminal cases. So it would be like having a traffic court where you can't have any…