Clark County Council to vote on jail rebuild

The Clark County Council is moving forward with a proposed $344 million partial rebuild of the county jail, balancing facility upgrades with a public sensitive to new taxes.

The council is scheduled to vote July 21 on a resolution to finalize the project, which would be funded through a 30-year construction bond and potential voter-approved property tax levy lid lift to pay for additional jail staff.

Director of Jail Services David Shook said at a work session June 24 that while the facility, built in 1984, struggles to keep pace with modern operational and safety standards, the public remains largely unaware of its condition and skeptical of new tax burdens.

County Manager Kathleen Otto said in an email that a partial jail rebuild provides necessary upgrades, additional bed capacity and services needed for the coming years. The cost for a partial rebuild is about $148 million less than a full rebuild.

Shook told The Columbian this project has been in the works for a decade, and managing the inmate population means catching up to modern requirements. The jail has a limited number of beds. As the jail population has changed over time, the county added a female dorm as well as the 64-bed “J Pod” to respond to a growing population.

“Today, you can’t tell who has been accused of a robbery versus a murder when they’re in here because the size has increased,” Shook said. “It’s hard to know the exact details because of the volume of the inmate population that we deal with today.”

The jail currently has 519 beds and 435 were occupied as of July 2. The facility needs to expand to 931 beds.

Shook understands residents’ hesitancy regarding reliance on taxes as a funding mechanism, but he said he hopes to convey the dire need for improvements at the jail.

“We often are curious as taxpayers about what public officials and government employees are doing with our taxes,” Shook said. “As we continue moving forward, we will provide educational outreach informing the public about the jail updates.”

Shook said as part of that outreach, the county plans to host in-person and virtual tours of the jail to highlight the need for updates.

Portland independent research firm DHM Research recently found that of 600 registered Clark County voters surveyed, 61 percent were unfamiliar with the jail’s condition. Additionally, 7 percent of respondents identified crime and public safety as the county’s top issue, placing it behind homelessness at 22 percent and housing affordability at 15 percent.

The survey also found that 93 percent of participants consider the cost of living a serious problem, while 65 percent view local taxes as a major concern.

John Horvick, senior vice president at DHM Research, said at the June 24 work session that the survey responses may point to a significant hurdle for the project.

Otto said in an email the county is working with a communications expert and community stakeholders to build an education and outreach program in response to the findings by DHM Research.

“We appreciate the feedback we have received from our community and share the importance of providing information on the current jail, sharing future opportunities and recognizing the financial struggles many individuals are facing today,” Otto said in the email.

She said the initiative not only aims to share information but to answer residents’ questions. The plan will be presented to the council and residents once it is completed.

Horvick said at the work session the survey data suggests that voter willingness to fund the project depends on how the proposal is framed. Survey respondents indicated higher support when funding is tied directly to staff safety, maintaining capacity for arrests and creating dedicated spaces for mental illness and substance use treatment.

The data also showed that a 0.02 percent sales tax for operations had higher baseline support at 57 percent compared with property tax options.

“Unfortunately, there are not many options available that would cover the cost of the jail capital and staffing,” Otto said. “There is one sales tax option that could cover the staffing for the jail, but there will be no funding left for other law and justice needs or other mandated services.”

She also said there is no funding mechanism outside of a bond that could cover the capital cost.

Shook said there will be another work session July 13 to continue discussing how best to handle the jail funding moving forward.