A $500 million public safety bond is on the Salt Lake County ballot this November. It’s a big change, but county leaders say it will protect the community and save money in the long run.
Despite bipartisan support, critics don’t buy it.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said if the bond fails, the county would have to go back to square one and other options would likely be more expensive.
“We really need this investment. We know that conservatives and liberals alike, and everyone in between, recognizes that we need more investment in our county system. I hope the public understands that there are many people in the country,” she said.
What do bonds do?
The main project supported by this bond is the construction of the Justice and Accountability Center, a less secure facility located in the same complex as the Salt Lake County Metro Jail. Mayor Wilson envisions the center as a place for people who have “committed minor crimes but are nonviolent,” including residents of the county who do not have a home.
“This is a center that provides wrap-around services, some housing assistance, mental health services, and frankly there is some behavior that is against the law and they need to be held accountable because they need a safe place. We allow some people to stay,” Wilson said.
Other goals of the center include job training and substance abuse treatment.
The county also hasn’t added a single jail bed since 2001, despite significant population growth. Part of the bond will add more than 800 new prison beds, some of which will be set aside strictly for mental health needs. It would also close the nearby Oxbow Prison, which operates on an as-needed basis, while also paying for maintenance and facility improvements.
What are the costs?
If approved by voters, the average household would pay an additional $68.94 a year in property taxes. The company would pay $107.61 per year over 25 years. Wilson and supportive county legislators argue that the bond is the most cost-effective way to address the criminal justice issues outlined so far.
“The problem is that if you don’t spend money now, you’re going to pay the price later, both in terms of aging infrastructure and recidivism if you don’t address the problem,” Wilson endorsed on October 25. He said this at a press conference on the day. bond.
Who supports you?
In a bipartisan 8-1 vote, the Salt Lake County Council sent bonds to residents. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox called it a “critical investment” to address “complex challenges like public safety, homelessness, mental and behavioral health, and housing.”
Elected officials have touted the services provided by the Justice and Accountability Center, but the bond in front of voters only covers construction costs. No payment will be made for the services.
Wilson said the center “will rely primarily on Medicaid funding to operate the facility.”
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera, a Democrat, said the bond is about the county’s future. She said the prison registers more than 30,000 people a year, many of whom are repeat offenders. The bond is aimed at people who “need assistance finding housing or employment.”
“We need another solution, an alternative that helps people succeed and never have to go back to prison,” Rivera said.
Jessica Seesing, deputy director of the Downtown Alliance, also supports the bond on behalf of downtown Salt Lake City businesses. She said the top priority for downtown managers is “the safety of our employees, customers and visitors,” and she believes the bond will provide that.
“The cost of bonds is modest, about $9 per month for the average company, and their long-term benefits far exceed the investment,” Tessing said. “These efforts not only help those in need, but also support social stability and minimize business disruption due to crime and trespass.”
What are the critics saying?
Josh Kivlovitz, a volunteer with the Salt Lake Community Bail Fund, took one look at the ballot and thought the bond was attractive. Expanding mental health services, substance abuse treatment and funding for centers sounded “too good to be true.”
“It’s sickening to see that this justice and accountability center is just another name for prison,” he says. “This remains a secure facility where people are arrested and imprisoned and are not allowed to come or go.”
For Kibrowitz, the bond would be better spent on future services promised “outside of a secure facility where people don’t have to be arrested and incarcerated to access it.”
When KUER asked Wilson whether the center would be a separate jail and whether people seeking services could opt in without being arrested, Wilson said the county was “working on an operational plan around that.”
The mayor said, “When we open the facility, we will investigate the population that is committing nuisance crimes.” “That’s the target audience.”
Kibrowitz said “nuisance crimes,” such as riding TRAX without a ticket or sleeping in public places, should be handled by criminals rather than using the center to “jail people who commit these poverty crimes.” I think it may be possible to deal with it outside the judicial system.
“We’re putting money into creating spaces to take people who are homeless and in poverty off the streets, but we’re not really addressing the reasons why they’re in poverty in the first place.” he said. “Instead, we’re just building a massive facility that won’t actually help address the lack of resources in the community.”
Wilson’s Republican opponent in the election, Erin Rider, also opposes the bonds. She believes residents will be asked to foot even higher bills in the future, especially once construction is complete.
“This bond only covers the infrastructure development itself, so additional tax dollars will likely be required to support the actual operation of this facility; the operational aspects are not covered,” Ryder said. This was stated at the county mayor’s discussion on the 2nd of May.
