On August 6th, Jackson County taxpayers will be asked to approve a millage to fund improvements, including enlarged new facilities on Chanter Road, and ongoing operations at Jackson County jails.
Candidate for Jackson County Sheriff Scott Aughney questions the narrative behind the pro-millage campaign — in particular, the emphasis on the condition of the Wesley Street jail.
County Commissioner Corey Kennedy says the Commission has studied the problem and determined that renovating the Wesley Street facility would cost more than building a new one.
Proponents of the millage point to the Wesley Street building's age and condition. Opponents question the need for new construction and suggest other funding sources or a smaller millage.
Video shows Aughney, Kennedy, and the Wesley Street facility.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
We've shown you the conditions at Jackson County jails. The sheriff and deputies say conditions are deplorable and dangerous. which is why they want voters to approve a new millage to fund improvements. Not everyone is convinced.
"If these were safety issue and they were not passing inspections, this complex would have been shut down," says Scott Aughney, who is running for Jackson County Sheriff.
Aughney questions the narrative behind the pro-millage campaign — in particular, the emphasis on the condition of the Wesley Street jail.
"Apparently," he says, "it's passing inspection."
Jackson County Administrator Michael Overton confirmed to me that, to his knowledge, the jail has not been cited by inspectors. That's because, according to Overton, the County has kept up on building repairs and maintenance.
On August 6th, Jackson County taxpayers will be asked to approve a millage to fund improvements, including enlarged new facilities on Chanter Road and ongoing operations at Jackson County jails. If approved, it would mean a mill of 0.9, costing an owner of a $200,000 home about $90 per year.
Proponents of the millage point to the Wesley Street building's age and condition. Opponents question the need for new construction and suggest other funding sources or a smaller millage.
County Commissioner Corey Kennedy, who sat on an ad hoc County committee that evaluated the condition of the facility, didn't want to speculate on what would happen if the millage fails. But he says:
"We explored renovating the old facility on Wesley Street," says Kennedy. "Unfortunately, that's cost-prohibitive."
Aughney isn't convinced a replacement is needed just yet: "I think many things are reparable."
And the costs, he says, are not insignificant.
"The amount of money that they want to moving the Sheriff's offices and the central jail out to the North campus is a significant commitment to a lot of people that are struggling right now," he argues.
Kennedy maintains that "it's less expensive to build onto the Chanter Road facility and move all operations out there" than to renovate the Wesley Street building.
FIND SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS COVERAGE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY MILLAGE AND CONDITIONS AT THE WESLEY STREET JAIL HERE , HERE AND HERE .
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