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Residents urge oversight, alternatives and fiscal caution on jail expansion
Summary
Multiple public commenters told the Citizens Oversight Committee to require citizen oversight and to consider fixing the existing jail and diversion programs rather than raising a new county sales tax to expand capacity; speakers cited the 2022 $260 million voter authorization and questioned project transparency and fairness among cities.
Several residents used the committee's public-comment period to ask for stronger citizen oversight and challenge the proposed ballot question's vagueness. Jennifer Mayo warned that the ballot language lacked specifics and recalled the 2022 voter-approved $260 million package, saying officials "moved forward with construction under layers of deception" and that phase 1 was advanced despite phase 2 requiring substantially more funding.
Residents also pressed for alternatives to building a larger facility. Mark Falk said expanding capacity would increase incarceration and disproportionately affect Black people, people experiencing homelessness and those with mental health needs, and urged the county to "fix the existing jail" and reduce the jail population before approving a new tax. Melissa Gray and others emphasized that the county handles thousands of mental-health-related calls and questioned whether a 60-bed behavioral care center would be sufficient. Committee members acknowledged these concerns and incorporated enhanced oversight and a lockbox into their recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners.
"In 2022, Oklahoma County voters entrusted you with 260,000,000 to address a dilapidated jail," Jennifer Mayo said during public comment. Mark Falk added: "When you build a larger jail, you fill it, and that's a fact."
