OKLAHOMA CITY — Over 400 residents attended Oklahoma County District 1 Commissioner Jason Lowe’s first town hall Tuesday at Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church. The event gave District 1 residents a chance to engage directly with their new commissioner and hear updates on major county initiatives.
Lowe was elected earlier this year.
“I’ve been in office almost five months, and, just to have this first town hall under my belt, I’m very excited about it,” Lowe said in an interview with Free Press. “The turnout was phenomenal. I’m just very excited about this event tonight, just to be able to reach so many people.”
Detention Center updates
A major focus of the town hall was the Oklahoma County Jail.
Paul Timmons, interim CEO of the detention center, described the current 13-story facility as having a capacity of 2,800 inmates, with a current population of around 1,600–1,700. The jail employs 144 detention officers, 84 clerical staff, and 60 medical personnel, including mental health providers.
About 120 people are released daily, with an average stay of 6.2 days, but the facility faces an 80% recidivism rate and operates on a $39 million budget. Timmons noted recent improvements, including expanded staff training, crisis intervention programs, upgraded cell doors, bringing medical services in-house, and strengthening wellness resources for staff.
“Some of the things that keep us up at night are staffing, retention, challenges, mental health, addictions, infrastructure, and the ways that we are faced with perception from the courts and other agencies,” Timmons said from behind the podium.
Pastor Derrick Scobey, District 1’s appointed trustee on the Oklahoma County Jail Trust, cited racial disparities.
For instance, while Black residents make up 10% of the county population, they account for 43% of the jail population.
He also listed issues including an average 2.56-day delay for municipal arrests that, according to him, should be processed within hours. Average stay times vary by race, with 2.4 days for Black inmates, 2.65 days for white inmates, and 10 days for Native inmates.
One proposed solution is expanding “cite-and-release,” which allows officers to issue citations for minor offenses rather than making arrests. According to Scobey, about 400 people in the jail are held solely on municipal charges that could be handled through citations, which could reduce the population and save taxpayer dollars.
“The main problem is that we’re understaffed,” said Scobey to the attentive crowd.
Scobey added that Oklahoma County does not collect a sales tax and warned that, in his opinion, the Department of Justice could place the jail under federal receivership if funding issues persist. In such a scenario, a federal court would appoint an outside manager to oversee jail operations and ensure compliance with legal and constitutional standards, potentially increasing annual costs to as much as $70 million.
Scobey conveyed a sense of urgency, emphasizing the need to secure additional funding sooner rather than later, encouraging voters to support measures that provide more funding for the jail.
“So if some type of vote does come up in April, this is one time we surely better vote for some type of increase,” Scobey told the audience.
Voters approved a $260 million bond in 2022 to fund a new detention center, but plans have faced hurdles, including budget shortfalls and rising construction expenses over estimates in 2022. Lowe called the construction of the new facility a critical issue.
“It’s a major issue as far as the lack of funding and how we’re going to pay to construct the new jail and also operational costs,” Lowe told Free Press.
Community projects, programs, and services
Lowe highlighted ongoing District 1 project updates. A major initiative is the Behavioral Health Center, a $44 million facility that broke ground in January, offering alternatives to incarceration for people with mental health or substance use challenges. Participants who complete the program may have their cases dismissed.
- Other updates include a $313,000 sidewalk project in Spencer connecting City Hall to the high school and local businesses,
- fire equipment for Forest Park, and roadwork, such as the full replacement of 37th Street, with county contributions of nearly $49,000 in labor and equipment.
Lowe and Spencer Mayor Charlotte Rivers also announced the beginning stages of a new library project.
On property tax relief, Lowe discussed the Property Tax Freeze program for seniors, which freezes assessed taxable values for eligible homeowners 65 and older, stating that he thought it seemed especially valuable to attendees.
“There’s so many programs out there that are available to taxpayers,” Lowe told Free Press after the meeting. “We’ve got to make sure that what’s out there reaches those in need.”
Housing stability was also addressed by Michael Figgins of Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, who noted that Legal Aid prevented more than 4,000 evictions in 2024.
Figgins also discussed Legal Aid’s Poverty Lift program, which works to increase client income and reduce expenses, addressing the root causes of eviction. The program is currently piloting with the Cherokee Nation and may expand into Oklahoma County.
Additional county updates from officials included:
- Jared Davidson and Dr. Andrea Benjamin, of the Oklahoma County Finance Authority, on mortgage support programs including Turnkey Plus and Mortgage Credit Certificate Program.
- Tre Williams, Oklahoma County Health Department, on free health services and the beginning stages of a new clinic near NE 23rd Street.
- Tanisha Woods, trustee overseeing county revenue notes and bonds, stressing public participation in project approvals.
- Michael Morrison with the County Assessor’s office, on property tax exemptions saving residents and veterans millions annually.
- Eleanor Thompson, explaining the roles of the Excise and Equalization Board in managing county finances and property value appeals.
Local business owner Kathy Jeffries said the event provided her with actionable next steps.
“With all the information in one location, I learned a lot,” Jeffries told Free Press, noting Legal Aid resources and property tax benefits for seniors stood out.
The event provided residents an open forum to hear updates on county priorities. The next town hall is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Belle Isle Library.
Zoe Elrod covers events and happenings around Oklahoma City for Free Press bringing her skill as a reporter and photographer. Zoe has spent her career covering local musicians, artists, politicians, and everyday folks.
