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Christopher Johnston urges Oklahoma County to pause jail project, cites failed inspections
Summary
Resident Christopher Johnston told commissioners the county should stop pursuing a new jail project, saying inspections have failed and ARPA and county funds have been diverted; he urged repairs to the existing facility and criticized the FLINCO contract.
Christopher Johnston, a resident and mental health counselor, told Oklahoma County commissioners during public comment that the county should reconsider the planned jail project and redirect resources to the existing facility.
Johnston said the county has had money available in the past, including ARPA funds, but that the funds were used for other projects. "We've allowed 12 inspections to fail," he said, arguing the current facility requires attention. He criticized the FLINCO contract and urged commissioners to "alter it" and invest in the present structure instead of continuing to push a new construction project.
Johnston warned of reputational and human costs if the project continues unchanged. "There's gonna be a lot of people voting in the general election, which is a higher probability of it not succeeding," he said, asking commissioners to stop "funneling money into a hole in the ground" and to earn public trust by passing inspections and making safer decisions. He concluded, "We will not take any more taxation without representation."
His remarks did not elicit a formal response from commissioners in the transcript; the board adjourned after public comment.
