Q&A: How different newly elected officials will answer for the new Oklahoma County jail funding problem

Across three Oklahoma City metro races, there’s one prominent issue that crosses elected boundaries. 

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Winners of the Oklahoma County District 1 Commissioner, Edmond Mayor, and Ward 7 Oklahoma City Council races will each contend with scrutiny from their bases over how to answer for a budget shortfall to fund Oklahoma County’s new jail. 

The $260 million originally approved by county voters in 2022 would now only cover a jail half the size of what the county needs due to rising costs, according to discussions during previous County Commission meetings. 

Now, costs are expected to exceed $600 million total. 

Q: Who chooses the path forward? 

Ultimately, the Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners will select what option it prefers to fill the funding gap. Publicly discussed options that have been floated only as ideas include a 1-cent sales tax, raising property taxes, or private financing. 

Current Oklahoma County Commissioners Brian Maughan and Myles Davidson have not concretely committed to one option in particular, but the idea of a sales tax has dominated conversations. 

District 1 County Commissioner-elect, democrat Jason Lowe, previously told News 9 in a February interview he hadn’t settled on a final viewpoint for funding the jail shortfall. 

“I'm ready to look at all areas,” he said. “As an attorney, I'm going to bring three things to the table: the law, the facts, and evidence." 

Q: How are the Edmond Mayor and Ward 7 OKC Council Member involved? 

While it’s up to county commissioners to propose the path forward, Edmond and Oklahoma City voters could share a ballot question if a sales tax lands on the ballot. 

Similarly, Edmond residents previously voiced opposition to the idea of a property tax, as reported by NonDoc. 

“There is no win, there is no lose,” said Edmond Mayor-elect Mark Nash in a debate on March 26 hosted with NonDoc. “Because we can’t lose. Because if we lose, guess what? We’re in trouble.” 

In a debate earlier in March, Oklahoma City Ward 7 Council Member-elect Camal Pennington indicated he hadn’t landed on supporting a sales tax. 

“I think it’s our obligation to work with the county on other responsible funding options so that we can ensure that our facilities are up to code,” he said.