Last Updated on August 6, 2023, 2:50 AM | Published: February 6, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — Monday, Oklahoma County Commissioners took a significant step forward in the process of building a new jail by authorizing the sale of bonds in the amount of $45 million for the purchase and construction of the new detention facility.
On June 28 of 2022 voters in Oklahoma County approved the issuing of new bonds to build a new jail. Those bonds replaced expiring bonds in the same amount, thus not raising tax rates for Oklahoma County residents.
The total amount of bonds adopted by Oklahoma County voters is $260 million. Monday’s vote authorized the sale of bonds for the first tranche of money intended to be used for the new jail project.
Marty Peercy reports Local government
Bonds are how governments borrow money. Bonds are sold in specialized markets and then paid back to investors with interest over time with tax money. Because the taxpayers are the ones who pay the bonds back, elections are held ahead of time for voters to approve or reject ideas for issuing bonds.
Free Press spoke to Brian Maughan, District 2 Commissioner and Chair of the BoCC, via phone on Monday about the bond.
Maughan explained that this amount of money will be enough to acquire a site for the new jail, and could possibly, if fortune favors, be enough to also start with an architect, depending of course on other mitigating factors.
Commissioner Maughan also pointed out that while these processes take time, the sales of the bonds needed to wait until the former bonds fell off.
“These pick up right where those sunset.”
Maughan said that the time in between the public vote and the opportunity to now begin selling the bonds afforded the opportunity to shop for the best rates.
“We’ve got them locked in at a much better rate than we could have hoped for,” Maughan told Free Press.
Recently the new Citizens Bond Oversight Committee held their first meeting, starting the process of site acquisition and planning. Hopes are high that these two connected processes will work together on a timeline.
“We’ve tried to ignite both processes so they can be running parallel, so hopefully they can coincide at the same time. That’s my hope,” Maughan said, and explained that the money from the sale of these bonds should bring money to the county at the proper time to purchase the land for a new Jail.
New member of Jail Trust
Newly seated District 3 Commissioner Myles Davidson brought a nomination for the D3 representative seat on the Oklahoma COunty Criminal Justice Authority (Jail Trust).
Steven Buck has spent many years in public service, including as the former Deputy Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) and more recently as the Director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs, where she oversaw an updating of juvenile justice including a new facility in Tecumseh.
More recently Buck has served on the Jail Trust’s Citizens Advisory Board. His nomination was confirmed unanimously and Buck attended his first Jail Trust meeting as a Trustee that afternoon.
Retirements
Two members of the County’s veteran staff were recognized on their retirement at Monday’s meeting.
Gail Doyle of the County Clerk’s office served for over 37 years. She will be missed at the office.
Cathy Allen has been serving in the Treasurer’s office for a whopping 42 years. She will begin her well-earned retirement soon.
The BoCC will meet again on Monday, February 21 at 9:00 a.m.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
